The line graph illustrates the proportion of Australian workers employed in five different sectors from 1962 to 2012.
Overall, while the employment in most fields declined over the period, services was the only sector that experienced a steady increase. Meanwhile, mining consistently remained the smallest share of the workforce.
Services and manufacturing showed significantly higher figures compared to the other three industries. Starting at just under 55% in 1962, the share of Australians working in services rose gradually, reaching slightly above 70% by 1992. From that point onward, the figure experienced a slow but continuous rise, eventually peaking at just below 80% by the end of the period. On the other hand, the proportion of employees in manufacturing was at approximately 25% between 1962 and 1972, a figure that then dropped consistently to 10% by 2012.
By contrast, the figures were lower for the remaining sectors. The share of workers in agriculture stood at about 10% in 1962, after which it went down gradually to nearly 5% by the end of the timeframe, effectively halving over five decades. As for construction and mining, both areas of employment showed mild fluctuations, with the former ending at approximately 10% and the latter at around 2% in 2012.