Who runs all those machines?

I recently helped a guy apply online for Employment Insurance benefits. He'd just been laid off from his job as a machine operator at a factory. During the application process, we had to specify what position he had held. But it wasn't enough just to say "machine operator". We had to choose from a very specific list.

The list is based on NOC,the National Occupation Classification scheme. Here are the choices offered for machine operator. There are 610 possibilities:

• Accounting machine operator
• Addressing machine operator - mail and postal services
• Adzing and boring machine operator
• Aging machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Aluminum-casting machine operator - primary metal processing
• Arch-cushion-skiving machine operator
• Asbestos board machine operator
• Asphalt-grooving machine operator
• Asphalt-paving machine operator
• Automated sphere-polishing machine operator
• Automated welding machine operator - flash butt process
• Automatic bolt machine operator
• Automatic casting machine operator - foundry
• Automatic coil machine operator
• Automatic component-assembly-machine operator - electronics
• Automatic moulding machine operator - foundry
• Automatic nailing machine operator - woodworking
• Automatic paper-cutting machine operator
• Automatic screw machine operator
• Automatic sewing machine operator
• Automatic transfer machine operator - metal machining
• Automatic welding machine operator
• Bag machine operator
• Bakery machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Balancing machine operator - electrical equipment manufacturing
• Balancing machine operator - small electric motors
• Baling machine operator - farm
• Band-knitting machine operator
• Bar-straightening machine operator - metal processing
• Base-filling machine operator - electrical equipment manufacturing
• Base-filling machine operator - electronic equipment manufacturing
• Basket machine operator - woodworking
• Basting machine operator - sewing
• Basting sewing machine operator, automatic
• Beading machine operator - metal products manufacturing
• Beading machine operator - rubber products manufacturing
• Bench machine operator - woodworking
• Bending machine operator
• Bending machine operator - pipelines
• Beverage-canning machine operator
• Bias cutting machine operator helper - rubber products manufacturing
• Billing machine operator
• Bindery machine operator - printing
• Binding sewing machine operator
• Bituminous paving machine operator
• Bleaching machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Blindstitch-sewing machine operator
• Block machine operator - concrete, clay and stone products
• Blow moulding machine operator - plastic manufacturing
• Blueprinting machine operator
• Bolt machine operator
• Bolt-threading machine operator
• Bonding machine operator, glass
• Book-cutting machine operator
• Book-sewing machine operator - printing
• Bookbinding machine operator
• Boring machine operator - metal machining
• Boring machine operator - woodworking
• Bottle machine operator
• Bottling machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Bowl blank boring and finishing machine operator
• Box blank machine operator
• Box machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Box-printing machine operator
• Box-sealing machine operator
• Braille stereograph machine operator
• Braille-impressing machine operator
• Brazing machine operator
• Brick and tile-making machine operator - clay products
• Brick-cutting machine operator - clay products
• Brick-moulding machine operator - clay products
• Briquetting machine operator
• Broaching machine operator - metal machining
• Broom-stitching machine operator
• Brush making machine operator
• Brushing machine operator - hide and pelt processing
• Bulk-sausage-stuffing machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Burning machine operator - metal fabrication
• Burnishing machine operator - footwear manufacturing
• Button machine operator
• Buttonhole machine operator
• Cable-braiding machine operator
• Calender machine operator - rubber products manufacturing
• Camming machine operator - metal machining
• Can forming machine operator
• Can machine operator
• Can-filling machine operator - fish processing
• Can-filling machine operator - food and beverage processing.
• Candy-rolling machine operator
• Candy-spinning machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Canning machine operator
• Canvas goods sewing machine operator
• Capsule machine operator
• Carbon-paper-making machine operator
• Cardboard-tube-winding machine operator
• Carpet-tufting machine operator
• Carpet-weaving machine operator
• Carton forming machine operator
• Carton-making machine operator
• Cartridge-loader machine operator
• Casing machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Casing machine operator - tobacco processing
• Casting machine operator
• Casting machine operator - primary metal processing
• Cathode-stripping machine operator - zinc electrolysis
• Cellophane bag machine operator - plastic manufacturing
• Cement-filling machine operator - electrical equipment
• Centrifugal casting machine operator
• Chain making machine operator
• Chain-link fence machine operator
• Charging machine operator - mineral and metal processing
• Chemical plant machine operator
• Chipping machine operator
• Chipping machine operator - logging
• Chucking and boring machine operator - woodworking
• Chucking machine operator - woodworking
• Cinder block machine operator - concrete products
• Clay products machine operator
• Cleaning machine operator
• Closer sewing machine operator
• Cloth-cutting machine operator - fabric products manufacturing
• Cloth-doubling machine operator
• Coating machine operator - chemical processing
• Coating machine operator - electrical equipment manufacturing
• Coating machine operator - industrial painting and coating manufacturing
• Coil machine operator
• Coil-winding machine operator - electronic equipment manufacturing
• Collating machine operator - printing
• Colour correction scanning machine operator
• Colour separation electronic scanning machine operator
• Commercial sewing machine operator
• Component inserting machine operator
• Concrete block machine operator
• Concrete products machine operator
• Concrete-grooving machine operator
• Concrete-paving machine operator
• Concrete-spinning machine operator
• Continuous dyeing machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Continuous glue machine operator - printing
• Continuous mining machine operator
• Contour-grinding machine operator - concrete and clay
• Cooperage heading machine operator - woodworking
• Copper-briquetting machine operator
• Copy, staple and glue machine operator
• Core machine operator - foundry
• Core-blower machine operator - foundry
• Core-winding machine operator - paper converting
• Corrugating machine operator - paper converting
• Corrugating machine operator-cutter - paper converting
• Covering machine operator - printing
• Cracker and cookie machine operator
• Creping machine operator - paper converting
• Creping machine operator helper
• Crocheting machine operator
• Cropsprayer machine operator
• Croze machine operator - woodworking
• Custom screw machine operator
• Cutting machine operator - clothing manufacturing
• Cutting machine operator - printing
• Cutting machine operator, rubber
• Cylinder machine operator - pulp and paper
• Dairy plant machine operator
• Dehairing machine operator - hide and pelt processing
• Developing machine operator - photographic processing
• Die-casting machine operator
• Die-cutting machine operator - paper products
• Dip-soldering machine operator - electronic equipment manufacturing
• Ditching machine operator
• Domestic sewing machine operator
• Door-hang machine operator - woodworking
• Dope machine operator - pipelines
• Double needle sewing machine operator
• Doubling machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Dovetail machine operator - woodworking
• Dowel machine operator - woodworking
• Dowelling machine operator - woodworking
• Drain tile auger machine operator - clay products
• Drawer-in machine operator
• Drilling and milling machine operator - metal machining
• Drilling machine operator - construction
• Drilling machine operator - metal machining
• Drilling machine operator - underground mining
• Drop-pinning machine operator - textiles
• Dry cell charge machine operator
• Dry-cleaning-machine operator - laundry and dry cleanining
• Dry-cleaning-machine operator helper
• Drying machine operator - tobacco processing
• Dubbing machine operator
• Duplicating machine operator
• Electrical equipment manufacturing machine operator
• Electrical-equipment-impregnating machine operator
• Electrogalvanizing machine operator
• Electronic printing and finishing machine operator
• Electrostatic painting machine operator
• Emblem-fusing machine operator - garment manufacturing
• Embossing machine operator - footwear
• Embossing machine operator - woodworking
• Embossing-imprinting machine operator
• Embroidery machine operator
• End trimming and boring machine operator - woodworking
• Engraving machine operator
• Engraving machine operator - printing
• Enrobing machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Entering machine operator - textiles
• Epoxy coating machine operator
• Epoxy-pouring machine operator
• Excavating machine operator
• Exhaust and sealing machine operator
• Expanding machine operator - metal products manufacturing
• Fabric-printing machine operator
• Fancy stitch machine operator
• Felt-making machine operator
• Fibreglass machine operator - plastic manufacturing
• Fibreglass-spraying machine operator
• Filleting machine operator - fish processing
• Filling machine operator - fish products
• Film printing machine operator
• Film-processing machine operator
• Filter rod machine operator - tobacco products
• Finishing machine operator
• Finishing machine operator - printing
• Finishing machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Fish canning machine operator - fish processing
• Fish cutting machine operator - fish processing
• Fish net making machine operator
• Fish plant machine operator - fish processing
• Fish-processing machine operator
• Flag-making machine operator
• Flame cutting machine operator - metal fabrication
• Flame cutting tracer machine operator - metal fabricating
• Flame-brazing machine operator
• Flour mill machine operator
• Fluting machine operator - laundry and dry cleaning
• Fluting machine operator - woodworking
• Foam machine operator - electrical equipment manufacturing
• Foam plastic-producing machine operator
• Foam rubber machine operator
• Foil-winding machine operator
• Folding machine operator - garment manufacturing
• Foreman/woman, forging-machine operators
• Foreman/woman, metalworking machine operators
• Forging machine operator
• Forming machine operator - concrete, clay and stone processing
• Fourdrinier machine operator
• Frame machine operator, tents
• Frazing machine operator - woodworking
• Fruit and vegetable machine operator
• Fur ironing machine operator - laundry and dry cleaning
• Fur sewing machine operator
• Fur-drummer-machine operator - laundry and dry cleaning
• Galvanizing machine operator
• Gas-shielded arc welding machine operator
• Gear-lapping machine operator
• Gear-milling machine operator
• Gear-rolling machine operator
• General assembler and light machine operator - electronics manufacturing
• Gig machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Glass cut-off machine operator
• Glass-blowing machine operator
• Glass-decorating machine operator
• Glass-drawing machine operator
• Glass-finishing machine operator
• Glass-forming machine operator
• Glass-forming machine operator helper
• Glass-pressing and glass-blowing machine operator
• Glass-pressing machine operator
• Glass-silvering machine operator
• Glassware-decorating machine operator
• Glue machine operator - woodworking
• Gluing and folding machine operator - printing
• Gluing machine operator - rubber products manufacturing
• Grain-cleaning machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Grain-processing machine operator
• Graining machine operator - tannery
• Granulator machine operator - chemical processing
• Groove-cutting machine operator
• Grooving machine operator - heavy equipment
• Grooving machine operator - woodworking
• Grout machine operator
• Gum-sheeting and scoring machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Hair-rooting machine operator - toy manufacturing
• Hardboard-grinding machine operator
• Harvester machine operator
• Hat and cap eyelet machine operator
• Hatmaking machine operator
• Header machine operator - metal
• Heel-trimming machine operator - footwear manufacturing
• Hemmer machine operator - sewing
• High-speed machine operator - tobacco products
• Honing machine operator - metal machining
• Hoop-maker machine operator - metal fabrication
• Hoop-making machine operator
• Hoop-punching and hoop-coiling machine operator - metal fabrication
• Hoop-riveting machine operator
• Hop-picking machine operator
• Horizontal boring machine operator - woodworking
• Horizontal earth-boring machine operator
• Hose maker machine operator - rubber products manufacturing
• Hunter machine operator - foundry
• Icing machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Image reproduction machine operator
• Industrial sewing machine operator
• Inserting machine operator - printing
• Insole tape machine operator
• Insole-moulding machine operator
• Insole-tacking machine operator
• Insulation machine operator
• Insulation mat machine operator - stone products
• Interpreting machine operator - data entry
• Intertype machine operator
• Jacquard card-cutting machine operator - textiles
• Jacquard card-lacing machine operator - textiles
• Jacquard machine operator
• Joiner sewing machine operator
• Jointing machine operator - woodworking
• Knitting machine operator
• Knotting machine operator - textiles
• Laminating machine operator
• Laminating machine operator - paper mill
• Laminating machine operator - rubber products manufacturing
• Lapping machine operator
• Laser beam welding machine operator
• Latex ribbon machine operator - rubber products manufacturing
• Latex thread machine operator - rubber products manufacturing
• Latex-coating machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Laundry machine operator
• Layup machine operator - wood processing
• Lead hand, forging machine operators
• Lead-casting machine operator - primary metal processing
• Leather garment sewing machine operator
• Leather products sewing machine operator
• Leather-glove-stitching machine operator
• Leather-sewing machine operator
• Lens-silvering machine operator - non-prescription
• Light bulb making machine operator
• Light-bulb-sealing machine operator - electrical equipment
• Line-painting machine operator - highways and roads
• Liner machine operator - paper converting
• Linotype composing machine operator
• Loading machine operator - underground mining
• Ludlow typesetting machine operator
• Machine operator - electrical appliance and equipment manufacturing
• Machine operator - electrical appliance manufacturing
• Machine operator - electrical equipment manufacturing
• Machine operator - electronic equipment manufacturing
• Machine operator - fish processing
• Machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Machine operator - garment manufacturing
• Machine operator - glass forming and finishing
• Machine operator - hide and pelt processing
• Machine operator - metal machining
• Machine operator - mineral and metal processing
• Machine operator - motor vehicle manufacturing
• Machine operator - plastic manufacturing
• Machine operator - plastics processing
• Machine operator - plating and metal spraying
• Machine operator - railway
• Machine operator - textile fibre and yarn preparation
• Machine operator - tobacco processing
• Machine operator - welding, brazing and soldering
• Machine operator helper, plastic products manufacturing
• Machine operator helper, rubber products manufacturing
• Machine operator, laundry and dry cleaning
• Magnetic flame cutting machine operator - metal fabrication
• Mailing machine operator
• Manipulator machine operator - primary metal processing
• Mattress sewing machine operator
• Mercerizer machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Mesh-welding machine operator
• Metal awning machine operator
• Metal cable machine operator
• Metal fabricating machine operator
• Metal products manufacturing machine operator
• Metal sawing machine operator
• Metalworking machine operator
• Milling machine operator - metal machining
• Milling machine operator - mineral and metal processing
• Mining machine operator
• Money-sorting machine operator
• Monotype casting machine operator
• Mould machine operator - rubber products manufacturing
• Moulding machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Mucking machine operator
• Mucking machine operator - construction
• Multineedle sewing machine operator
• Multiple-spindle screw machine operator
• Nailing machine operator - woodworking
• NC (numerical control) drilling machine operator - metal fabrication
• NC (numerical control) riveting machine operator - metal fabrication
• Net-knitting machine operator - textiles
• Nibbling machine operator - jewellery manufacturing
• Nibbling machine operator - metal fabrication
• Numbering machine operator - printing
• Numerically controlled (nc) machine operator - metal manufcaturing
• Office machine operator
• Office machine operators supervisor
• Offline-printing and offline-finishing machine operator
• Offset duplicating machine operator
• Offset machine operator
• Opticopy machine operator - printing
• Packaging machine operator - chemical processing
• Packaging machine operator - food processing
• Padding machine operator - textiles
• Paint machine operator
• Panel-sanding machine operator - wood processing
• Paper bag machine operator
• Paper box machine operator
• Paper machine operator
• Paper-coating machine operator
• Paper-converting machine operator
• Paper-finishing machine operator
• Papermaking and finishing machine operator
• Particleboard-forming machine operator
• Partition assembly machine operator - paper converting
• Pasting machine operator - electrical equipment manufacturing
• Patching machine operator - laundry and dry cleaning
• Payroll machine operator
• Peat-moss-cutting machine operator
• Peat-moss-gathering machine operator
• Pen-and-pencil-knurling machine operator
• Photocomposing-perforating machine operator
• Photocopy machine operators supervisor
• Photographic and film-processing machine operator
• Photographic-film-processing machine operator
• Photographic-processing machine operator
• Pick and place machine operator - electronic equipment manufacturing
• Pick-up machine operator
• Picking machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Pie-making machine operator
• Pill machine operator
• Pill-coating machine operator
• Pinning machine operator
• Pipe extrusion machine operator - plastic manufacturing
• Pipe-bending machine operator - metal fabrication
• Pipe-cleaning and covering machine operator
• Pipe-threading machine operator
• Piping-sewing machine operator
• Planer mill machine operator
• Plasterboard machine operator
• Plastic bag machine operator
• Plastic-film extrusion machine operator
• Plastic-pipe production machine operator
• Plastic-spreading machine operator
• Plastics machine operator
• Plastics-moulding machine operator
• Plate-parting machine operator - electrical equipment manufacturing
• Polishing machine operator - metal products
• Polishing machine operator - plastic manufacturing
• Potato chip machine operator
• Precision honing machine operator - metal machining
• Printed circuit board (pcb) assembly machine operator
• Printed circuit board (pcb) fabrication machine operator
• Printing and finishing machine operator
• Printing machine operator - printing
• Production boring machine operator - metal machining
• Production broaching machine operator - metal machining
• Production coating machine operator
• Production lapping machine operator
• Production machine operator - electrical equipment manufacturing
• Production machine operator, plastic bags
• Production milling machine operator - metal machining
• Profile milling machine operator - metal machining
• Profile-pocket sewing machine operator
• Profiling machine operator - metal machining
• Proof machine operator
• Pulp mill machine operator
• Punch and shear machine operator - metal fabrication
• Quick print machine operator
• Quilting machine operator
• Redrying machine operator - tobacco processing
• Reeling machine operator - primary metal processing
• Reeling machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Reinforcing cage winding machine operator
• Ribbing machine operator - textiles
• Riveting machine operator - electrical equipment manufacturing
• Rod-bending machine operator - metal fabrication
• Rolling machine operator - metal forging
• Rotary brush-making machine operator
• Rotary drilling machine operator
• Rotary drilling machine operator - surface mining and quarries
• Rounding and backing machine operator - printing
• Roving machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Rubber goods machine operator
• Rubber processing machine operator
• Rug underlay machine operator - rubber products manufacturing
• Rug-coating machine operator
• Rug-yarn-setting machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Ruling machine operator - printing
• Saddle stitching machine operator - printing
• Sawing machine operator - sawmill
• Sawing machine operator - woodworking
• Sawmill machine operator
• Scarfing and boring machine operator
• Scouring machine operator
• Screen printing machine operator - printing
• Screw machine operator - metal machining
• Scroll-quilting machine operator
• Seaweed harvesting machine operator
• Serging machine operator
• Serrating machine operator
• Sewer jet machine operator - public works
• Sewer-pipe-cleaning machine operator - public works
• Sewing machine operator
• Sewing machine operators foreman/woman - fabric and fur
• Sewing machine operators supervisor
• Shearing machine operator - underground mining
• Sheet-metal-embossing machine operator
• Sheet-metal-working machine operator - metal products manufacturing
• Shirt-folding machine operator - laundry and dry cleaning
• Shoe-trimming machine operator - footwear manufacturing
• Shotblasting machine operator - metal products manufacturing
• Shredding machine operator - food processing
• Shrinking machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Side stitching machine operator - printing
• Silk-screen printing machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Silk-screening machine operator
• Single-needle sewing machine operator
• Sintering machine operator
• Sizing machine operator - fabric
• Slab machine operator - rubber products manufacturing
• Slicing machine operator - food and beverage processing
• Slide-fastener-cutting machine operator
• Snow-grooming machine operator
• Snowmaking machine operator
• Snuff-blending machine operator - tobacco processing
• Soldering machine operator
• Sole-moulding machine operator - footwear manufacturing
• Sorting machine operator
• Spike machine operator - railway
• Spike puller machine operator - railway
• Spiral binding machine operator - printing
• Spiral weaving machine operator
• Splitting machine operator cork
• Spray foam machine operator - electrical equipment manufacturing
• Spring assembly machine operator
• Spring machine operator
• Spring-coiling machine operator
• Squeezer machine operator - foundry
• Stacking machine operator - electrical equipment manufacturing
• Stacking machine operator - material handling
• Stave machine operator - woodworking
• Steel shot machine operator
• Steel wool machine operator
• Stem-flattening machine operator - tobacco processing
• Stemming machine operator - tobacco processing
• Stencil silk-screen printing machine operator
• Stitching machine operator - industrial sewing machine
• Stone products machine operator
• Straightening machine operator
• Stranding machine operator
• Strapping machine operator - glass manufacturing
• Stretching machine operator - hide and pelt processing
• Strip machine operator - rubber products manufacturing
• Strip-roll-forming machine operator - metal fabrication
• Stripping machine operator - tobacco processing
• Stuffing machine operator
• Submerged arc welding machine operator
• Sugar-processing machine operator
• Supervisor, tobacco-processing machine operators
• Supervisor, woodworking machine operators
• Tabulating machine operator
• Testing machine operator - electronic equipment manufacturing
• Textile-dyeing and finishing machine operator
• Threading machine operator
• Threshing machine operator
• Tinned sheet coating machine operator
• Tobacco harvesting machine operator
• Tobacco-blending machine operator
• Tobacco-dressing machine operator - tobacco processing
• Tobacco-processing machine operator
• Toy-stuffing machine operator
• Tracer-bullet-loading machine operator
• Track broom machine operator - railway
• Track-maintenance-machine operator - railway
• Track-surfacing machine operator - railway
• Tread cutter machine operator - rubber products manufacturing
• Trenching machine operator
• Trimming and boring machine operator - woodworking
• Trimming machine operator - sawmill
• Trimming machine operator - woodworking
• Tube machine operator - paper converting
• Tunnelling machine operator
• Tunnelling machine operator helper - construction
• Typecasting machine operator
• Typesetting machine operator
• Undercutting machine operator - industrial electrical equipment
• Veneer-slicing machine operator - wood processing
• Vertical boring machine operator
• Wafering machine operator - electrical equipment manufacturing
• Washing machine operator - laundry and dry cleaning
• Wave soldering machine operator
• Welding machine operator helper
• Winding machine operator - textile manufacturing
• Wire bundle machine operator
• Wire drawing machine operator
• Wire loop machine operator
• Wire machine operator
• Wire-crimping machine operator
• Wire-cutting machine operator - electronic equipment manufacturing
• Wire-mesh-fence-making machine operator
• Wire-netting machine operator
• Wire-wrapping machine operator - electronic equipment manufacturing
• Wood-carving machine operator
• Wood-oiling machine operator - wood processing
• Woodworking machine operator
• Woodworking machine operators foreman/woman
• Wrapping machine operator - wire products manufacturing
• X-ray machine operator - medical
• Zipper machine operator
• Zipper-sewing machine operator