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Economic Geography

Types of Industry

Employment Structures

What might the examiner ask?

Types of Industry

Jobs can be divided into three main groups:

• Primary - collecting or producing raw materials
• Secondary - making something
• Tertiary - Providing a service

Employment Structures

The proportion of people working in different jobs is called an employment structure. LEDCs tend to have more people working in primary industry. This is because most people work in agriculture. NICs (Newly industrialised countries) tend to have a large proportion of people working in secondary industries. The % of the population working in primary industry starts to decline. This is because people move from jobs in rural areas to urban areas to work in factories as the industrial base develops. MEDCs tend to have more people working in Tertiary industry.

What might the examiner ask?

1. Give definitions of primary, secondary and tertiary industries.
2. Give examples of primary, secondary and tertiary industries.
3. Describe and explain an employment structure.
4. Describe and explain changes in an employment structure over time.