Band 8+: The charts below show the qualifications of staff in an advertising company in 1990 and 2010. Provide an overview of the information by identifying and describing the key details, and include comparisons where appropriate.

The two pie charts illustrate the distribution of staff qualifications in an advertising company in 1990 and 2010.

Overall, there was a clear shift towards higher academic qualifications over the two decades. While the proportions of employees holding first degrees declined, those with postgraduate and doctoral qualifications, especially in science-related fields, became more common.

In 1990, the majority of staff held a Master’s degree in Science, accounting for 29%, followed by Master’s in Art and First Degree in Science, at 21% and 20% respectively. Meanwhile, First Degree in Art and PhD in Science represented smaller shares of 15% and 12%, and only 2% of employees possessed a PhD in Art.

By 2010, notable changes had occurred. The proportion of staff with a PhD in Science rose dramatically to 30%, overtaking Master’s in Science, which remained stable at 29%. Likewise, there were modest increases in the shares of PhD in Art and Master’s in Art, reaching 5% and 23% respectively. In contrast, the figures for First Degree in Science and First Degree in Art experienced significant declines, dropping to 11% and 2%.

In summary, the company’s workforce became more academically qualified over time, with a growing emphasis on science-oriented and postgraduate education.