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Economic activity: primary to quaternary
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Every job fits into one of four sectors. The mix of jobs in a country tells you a lot about how developed it is.
The four sectors
Secondary: making things from raw materials: manufacturing, building, food processing.
Tertiary: providing services: shops, teaching, healthcare, transport, tourism.
Quaternary: knowledge and research: scientific research, IT and software development, consultancy.
How the mix changes
As countries industrialise, more work in the secondary sector.
In high-income countries like the UK, most people work in the tertiary sector, and the quaternary sector grows.
The UK's changing economy
In the late 1900s many closed: deindustrialisation. Reasons include cheaper production abroad, automation and old coal mines running out of easy coal.
Today most UK jobs are in services, such as finance, retail, health and education, and in high-tech industries.
Why has the UK's secondary sector shrunk since the 1970s?
- Goods could be made more cheaply in countries with lower wages.
- Machines and robots replaced many factory workers.
- Many coal mines and older industries closed, while services grew.
Answer: Cheaper production overseas, automation and the decline of older industries.
Primary: raw materials. Secondary: making things. Tertiary: services. Quaternary: research and IT. Low-income countries have more primary jobs; high-income countries more tertiary and quaternary. The UK has deindustrialised and is now mainly a service economy.
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