The charts illustrate the percentage of workers in agriculture, industry, and services in Germany, the USA, Japan, and China in 1980 and 2010.
In 1980, Germany had around 60% of its workforce in industry, with agriculture at just 2% and services at 40%. The USA and Japan also had a significant share in industry, employing 40-50% of workers, with services close behind, especially in the USA at 40%. Japan had about 30% in services. China, however, was dominated by agriculture, employing 60% of the workforce, while industry and services each contributed around 20%.
By 2010, significant shifts had occurred. In Germany, the USA, and Japan, industry became even more dominant, with 80% of workers employed there. Services saw a decline to 20-30%, and agriculture nearly disappeared in these countries. In China, agriculture’s share fell dramatically to 30%, while the industry sector rose to over 50%, and services declined to around 20%. It’s also notable that China was the only country where agriculture remained a significant sector in 2010, unlike the other countries where it became almost negligible.