WHAT KINDS OF WORK DO PEOPLE DO?

Employment Structure

Sector Definition Examples Number in class

Primary The extraction or cultivation of raw materials. Growing things or taking them out of the ground or water

Farmer, fishing, forester, coal miner, oil extraction

Secondary The manufacturing and processing of raw materials into a finished product. Making things!

Factories making cars, computers, clothes, etc also construction.

Tertiary Providing a service Doctors, teachers, sales, managers, actors, footballers, etc

Quaternary Part of Tertiary sector, but focusing on research and development and IT

Research scientist, designer, consultant

What percentage of people work in different sectors is called the EMPLOYMENT STRUCTURE of a country.

Employment structures

The proportion of people working in each sector of industry (primary, secondary and tertiary) is called the employment structure.

Employment structures change over a period of time and vary from place to place

There are three classifications of industrial activity:

PrimarySecondaryTertiary

Employment structures

shop assistant, fisherman, baker, teacher, coalminer, builder, policeman, lumberjack, watch maker, lawyer, farmer, automobile production, footballer, grazing, musician, ship building, carpenter, pilot, quarrying, metal worker, air hostess, hunter, craft, car welder, forestry, construction, bus driver, assembling cars, shepherd, manufacturing with raw materials

Exercise: Primary, Secondary or Tertiary?

Employment Structure in the UK

The UK has a low proportion of people working in primary industry. This is partly because of mechanisation. Machinery has taken over jobs in the primary sector. Also, as primary resources have become exhausted (e.g. coal) The UK now imports a considerable amount of its non-renewable resources. The number of people employed in the secondary sector is falling. This is because fewer people are needed to work in factories as robots are taking over jobs. The tertiary sector is the main growth area. Most people work in hospitals, schools, offices and financial services. Also, as people have more free time and become wealthier there is a greater demand for leisure services. Therefore more jobs become available in the tertiary sector.

http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/empstruct.html#structure

Employment Structure in Brazil

Brazil is a NIC or Newly Industrialised Country. While it is developing its economic base there are still a large number of people employed in primary industries such as farming. There is a large proportion of people employed in tertiary industries. One reason for this is because of the growth of Brazil as a tourist destination. Also, there have been significant improvements in the provision of health care, education and transport.

http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/empstruct.html#structure

Employment Structure in Ghana

Ghana is an LEDC or Less Economically Developed Country. The majority of people work in the primary sector. This is due to the lack of machinery available in farming, forestry and mining. Farming is very important because people often grow the food they eat. Few people work in secondary industries due to the lack of factories - machinery is too expensive and multi-national companies rely on the raw materials available in Ghana to assist in manufacturing products.

http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/empstruct.html#structure

Class survey

Produce a divided bar chart for 4 countries, choose 1 country from Europe, 1 from Asia, 1 from South America and 1 from Africa

Example of a Divided bar chart:

Compare the charts, how are they the same? How are they different? Why?

Class survey

1. How and why do patterns of employment structure vary in contrasting regions and countries across the World?

2. How and why do employment structure patterns change over time?

M.E.D.C.s are More Economically Developed Countries and tend to…

L.E.D.C.s are Less Economically Developed Countries and tend to…

The decline of the Primary and Secondary Sectors: Cheaper imports have forced them out of business More efficient and cheaper machinery has been

used to replace workers Natural resources used in the primary sector are

running out. Increase in size of the tertiary sector. Higher incomes have lead to an increase in the

demand for services provided by the tertiary sector

Reasons for changes in the employment structure over time