Have you previously been employed? If so, you've probably been engaged in one of the main sectors of the global economy. There are five primary economic sectors, each involving various types of work.
What precisely is meant by an economic sector? How are they categorized? What are some instances of various occupations in each sector? Numerous inquiries; we're here to provide answers. Let's delve in!
Understanding Economic Sectors
Think about the various jobs involved in producing the electronic device you are currently using.
Miners extract minerals for its components, factory workers transform these minerals into electronic parts, delivery truck drivers ensure its delivery, product developers design its functionality, and top executives make crucial decisions. Each of these jobs represents a different economic sector.
An economic sector is a specific segment of the economy where a particular business activity takes place.
Classifying Economic Sectors
With thousands of diverse jobs worldwide contributing to the global economy, it's essential to categorize them into five economic sectors for better understanding. These sectors include the primary sector, secondary sector, tertiary sector, quaternary sector, and quinary sector.
| Sector | Activity |
| Primary Sector |
The primary sector involves the production of raw materials and agricultural goods through activities such as farming, mining, fishing, and forestry. |
| Secondary sector |
Manufacturing jobs in the secondary sector entail transforming raw materials into higher-value goods, typically carried out in factories. |
| Tertiary sector |
Jobs in the tertiary sector do not involve the production of goods; rather, they entail individuals offering services to others, ranging from taxi drivers to nurses. |
| Quaternary Sector |
Most roles in this industry involve providing services, although they demand a higher level of education and expertise compared to tertiary positions. This category includes Information Technology specialists, financial traders, and innovation engineers. |
| Quinary Sector |
In this field, one can usually find government officials, high-ranking executives in major companies, and research scientists, along with law enforcement, the military, and even non-profit organizations or charities. |
Classifying these sectors is part of the process of economic sector Economic sectors categorize all economic activity according to the work conducted and goods and services generated, with the number of sectors expanding as new types of work emerge and economists establish additional sectors.
Many websites and books still categorize economic activity into the initial three sectors and overlook the more recently established quaternary or quinary sectors. In more economically advanced areas, there is a shift from primary sector jobs to those higher up the chain.
Primary sector jobs were among the first roles ever performed by individuals, whereas most quaternary and quinary sector jobs emerged quite recently.
Economic Sectors Examples
There are many different examples of the work included in each of the economic sectors. Let's explore this further.
The Primary Sector
The primary sector encompasses activities like mining, farming, and fishing that directly extract or produce raw materials from the earth.
Primary sector goods generally have a lower value than manufactured goods. Countries with a significant number of primary sector workers tend to exhibit lower economic development, with some rare cases.
Nations extracting substantial petroleum and natural gas may experience significant economic growth due to the importance of these essential energy sources, while still maintaining a primary sector-oriented economy. Similarly, precious jewels like diamonds and emeralds hold great value due to their rarity and high demand.
The Secondary Sector
After the Industrial Revolution, there was a rapid increase in secondary sector jobs. These activities involve manufacturing and construction. Examples include factory work producing goods like automobiles, furniture, cloth, and steel, as well as construction, which involves building structures.
Some secondary sector activities produce items used by others in the same sector, such as steel used in airplane production.
Countries typically begin by manufacturing simpler, lower-value goods prior to advancing to more intricate ones. Japan, for instance, initiated its industrial journey with textiles and subsequently transitioned to automotive manufacturing.
The Tertiary Sector
In economically advanced nations, numerous service positions are classified under the tertiary sector, such as bus drivers, restaurant staff, salespersons, and pharmacists.
The Quaternary Sector
The quaternary sector focuses on jobs that require specialized knowledge. This includes fields like IT programming, consulting, and financial services. Workers in this sector typically need high levels of formal education.
The Quinary Sector
The quinary sector is dedicated to high-level services like government, universities, and healthcare. These services are often non-profit and serve the public good. This sector also includes activities like childcare, nursing homes, and housekeeping.
Tertiary Economic Sector
As countries industrialize and develop economically, the tertiary sector tends to grow. Service jobs replace those in the secondary sector, especially as industrial activity decreases or moves to other countries. The growth of service jobs is often linked to the introduction of universal education.
The percentage of people working in service jobs has increased significantly, particularly in more economically developed countries. As a country develops, the tertiary sector expands while the primary sector shrinks. Most people interact with the tertiary sector in their daily lives, whether through getting services like haircuts or medical procedures.
The tertiary sector encompasses both profit and non-profit services. Profitable services are those that are paid for by consumers, such as financial services, hotels, and haircuts.
Non-profit services, on the other hand, include public education provided by the state (as opposed to private education). As of 2020, the service sector accounted for a significant 65.73% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Five Economic Sectors
Let's refresh our memory on economic sectors. These are different parts of the global economy where various types of work are carried out. There are five main economic sectors:
- Primary Sector - involves raw materials.
- Secondary Sector - focuses on manufacturing.
- Tertiary Sector - encompasses services.
- Quaternary Sector - involves knowledge-based activities.
- Quinary Sector - an extension of the tertiary/quaternary sector.
In more developed countries, there is typically less economic activity (employment) in the primary or secondary sectors. The model below illustrates this trend. It shows that over time, as a country develops, primary activities decrease while tertiary activities increase. With deindustrialization, secondary activities also decline, and quaternary sectors begin to emerge.