Band 6+: Chart A below shows the rate of oil consumption (in millions of barrels) in a small country from 1950 to 2010. Chart B shows the number of people employed in the oil industry in that country, and also the rate of unemployment throughout the country over the same time.

The given charts present information about the proportion of oil consumption, oil sector employment and national unemployment in a small country between 1950 and 2010.

Overall, it is apparent that there is a correlation between oil consumption and employment rate, as an increase in oil consumption was followed by a rise in employment rate.

Regarding the line graph, an upward trend can be seen in the amount of oil which was used annually over the mentioned period. For example, the figure for consumption of oil experienced a slight fluctuation around 20 million of barrels until 1970, then the rate rose steadily to reach 40 million in 2000 and around 50 million by 2010. Looking at the data on oil industry job, we can see that the growth in oil consumption is matched with the threefold increase in employment sector. Numbers fluctuated around 1000 from 1950 to 1970, when the number consistently increased significantly to just over 3000 by 2010.

However, the percentages of national unemployment progressively dropping from 4% in 1950 to 3.1% in 1980 and finally arriving at 1.6% by the end of the period.