In the article from the documentary complexes fixing personal information on occupations of the population in the second half of the XIX century in the Altai Mining district are considered from the point of view record management. From the middle of the XIX century two documentary complexes reflecting different aspects of occupational statuses of the population rapidly developed. On the one hand, there was statistical documentation presented by forms and other records of city, household and general (demographic) censuses, on the other hand, there were personnel records, presented by official and other lists, certificates of employees of the Altai Mining district. Statistical documentation has a complex character, it fixes occupational data of all inhabitants of the district, but by the end of the XIX century the statistical surveys including the question of employment, were infrequent (the best program of occupational research was realized during the 1897 census). Another peculiarity of population censuses was the right to «self-evaluate’ the occupational status. Unlike statistical records, personnel records were obligator, were based on the official documents and were regularly updated, especially it was characteristic of the white workers’ records. This complex of documents was specialized and was characteristic for the public service and production spheres.