The line graph illustrates changes in the number of jobs available in four different sectors of the US, which include manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare, over the period from 1960 to 2020.
Overall, it is evident that manufacturing experienced an initial increase before following a downward trend, whereas retail and healthcare followed upward trends. In addition, agriculture declined considerably over the period.
The figure for manufacturing increased significantly from 15 million to 20 million between 1960 and 1980, whereas that for retail rose steadily from 6 million to 10 million over the same period. The figure for manufacturing reached a peak of 20 million in 1980, whereas retail continued to increase, reaching 15 million in 2000. By the end of the period, retail had overtaken manufacturing to become one of the highest figures, at 16 million compared with 13 million.
Meanwhile, healthcare increased steadily from 2 million to 16 million over the period, while agriculture declined from 6 million to 2 million. Regarding healthcare, the figure increased gradually before reaching 16 million in 2020. Similarly, the figure for retail rose substantially before reaching 16 million at the end of the period. Overall, retail and healthcare recorded the highest figures at the end of the period, whereas agriculture remained the lowest throughout.