The two pie charts illustrate the proportions of employees in an engineering company who held different types of degrees in 1980 and 2008.
Overall, science-related qualifications dominated in both years, but the distribution changed significantly over time. The share of science PhDs increased markedly, while the proportion of employees with first degrees, particularly in arts and science, declined.
In 1980, the largest group of employees held a Master’s degree in science, accounting for 29% of the workforce, followed closely by those with a first degree in arts (25%). Holders of first degrees in science represented 19%, while PhDs in science made up 13%. Arts graduates with Master’s and PhD qualifications formed the smallest proportions, at 12% and 2% respectively.
By 2008, employees with science PhDs had become the most dominant group, rising to 30%. The percentage of workers with a science Master’s degree remained stable at 29%, while those with a science first degree fell sharply to just 10%. Similarly, the proportion of first degree arts graduates dropped to 11%. Arts Master’s holders showed a slight increase to 13%, and PhDs in arts rose more noticeably to 7%, although they still accounted for the smallest group.