Band 9: 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 charts show the progress of oil consumption, oil sector employment and national unemployment in a nation between 1950 and 2010.

Regarding oil consumption, this fluctuated around 20 million barrels per year until 1970, when it rose steadily to reach 40 million in 2000 and around 50 million by 2010. Looking at the data on oil industry jobs, we see that the growth in consumption was matched by a roughly similar threefold trend in employment in that sector. Numbers fluctuated around 1,000 people until 1970, before climbing consistently, passing 1,800 in 1980 and reaching 3,100 in 2010.

However, turning to national unemployment, this figure declined progressively over the entire period, dropping from 4% in 1950 to 3.1% in 1980, and finally arriving at 1.6% by the last year in question.

Overall, we can say that the rise in oil use in this country was reflected in an approximately corresponding rate of growth in people employed in the oil business. At the same time, total unemployment dropped by more than half.