Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
Rise of the service sector
Future of Work | Generative AI | Talent
June 26, 2024 – Generative AI may propel changes in labor demand, but changes in employment patterns are nothing new. Work has shifted away from industrial and agricultural jobs and toward the service sector in both Europe and the United States since the mid-19th century, according to a survey by senior partner Eric Hazan and colleagues. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic left lasting effects on the workplace, including further tightening of labor markets and increased hybrid work. Population aging and fewer hours worked per employee, especially in Europe, mean that employers are increasingly competing for talent, the survey suggests. Click through the interactive to see more.
To read the report, see “A new future of work: The race to deploy AI and raise skills in Europe and beyond,” May 21, 2024.
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Visual form
Sequence.
Layout / body structure
The page uses a two-screen sequence rather than one static chart. The reading order is screen by screen, moving through the sector-history views with the Prev and Next controls.
What is being compared
It compares long-run employment composition by sector in Europe and the United States, tracking how agriculture, manufacturing, construction, transportation, and service sectors change across a long historical period.
Measurement system
The important measures are sector shares of employment over time, with years running from the nineteenth century through 2022. The key labels are the sector names, the long time horizon, and the regional split between Europe and the United States.
Visible structure inside the graphic
The chart is organized as slide-based sector-history views. The screens emphasize long trend lines and labeled sector groups, with the big structural move coming from shrinking agriculture and expanding service sectors such as government, education, and healthcare.
Main takeaway from the visual
The chart shows that employment in both Europe and the United States has shifted decisively toward services over time, while agriculture shrinks and several industrial sectors hold more stable middle positions.
Key standout values or extremes
The strongest visual contrast is the long downward path of agriculture against the long upward path of government, education, and healthcare. Construction, transportation, and manufacturing appear far steadier than those two extremes.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
The reader can move through the sequence with Prev and Next controls, using the two screens to step from one sector-composition view to the next rather than reading a single fixed chart.
Companion media, when applicable
There is no separate companion audio or video; the chart is the full visual on this page.