Industrial structure = relative portion of the workforce employed in different sectors of the economy
○ Primary = involves extracting raw materials from natural environment
■ eg/ farming, mining
○ Secondary = involves taking raw materials (produced by primary sector) and processing them into
manufactured goods
■ eg/ baker, oil refining
○ Tertiary = involves selling of services and skills
■ eg/ teachers, doctors, bus drivers
○ Quaternary = involves industries providing information services/knowledge , such as computing, IT
and Research and Development
■ eg/ IT consultant
● 1841 : height of Industrial Revolution in UK
○ More people worked in manufacturing than services
○ ¼ of workforce still worked in agriculture
● 2011 : industrial structure shifts to services and knowledge
○ 80% worked in services
○ 9% worked in manufacturing
○ 1% worked in agriculture
● The industrial structure is always changing → varies around the country
○ Different areas specialise in different industries
Causes of economic change: Globalisation
● Globalisation = process that has created a more connected world , with increases in the movement of
goods/people/lifestyle/trade worldwide – the sharing of ideas
○ UK economy is changing due to globalisation
■ eg/ more businesses in the UK are owned by foreign companies
■ eg/ more British companies own businesses in other countries
● Globalisation has been made possible by developments in transport, communication and the internet
○ It is held responsible for the explosion of the quaternary sector – many people work with global
brands/products
○ Wouldn’t be possible without being able to instantly connect with people worldwide
● Globalisation has boosted world trade
○ More products are being imported to the UK → caused a decline in UK manufacturing
● UK has been trading with the rest of the world for centuries → they are part of the global economy
