The graph illustrates the number of jobs in four sectors of the US economy—Manufacturing, Agriculture, Retail, and Healthcare—over the period from 1960 to 2020.
Overall, the data shows significant shifts in employment trends across these sectors. In 1960, Manufacturing was the dominant sector, with around 15 million jobs. This number peaked at approximately 17 million in 1980, before a steady decline set in, dropping to below 10 million by 2020. Conversely, Agriculture started at just under 5 million jobs in 1960 and experienced a continuous decline, reaching almost zero by 2020.
Retail jobs showed a different trend, beginning at around 8 million in 1960, then gradually increasing to about 10 million by 2000. However, after 2000, Retail jobs declined slightly, settling at just above 8 million by 2020.
Healthcare, on the other hand, saw the most dramatic rise. Starting at around 3 million jobs in 1960, it experienced a steady increase, surpassing Manufacturing in the late 1990s and continuing to grow. By 2020, Healthcare had become the largest sector, with around 15 million jobs.
In summary, while Manufacturing and Agriculture sectors saw a decline in job numbers over the 60-year period, Retail showed moderate growth with a slight decline towards the end, and Healthcare experienced a significant and consistent increase, becoming the largest employment sector by 2020