Measuring development and changing employment

Last time

Before we start: last time, in Settlement, services and urban growth, you learned these points. Here they are again on one card. Keep them in mind, because today builds on them.

Rich and poor countries

Some countries are rich, with long life expectancy and good schools; others are poorer. How do we measure development? And how does the kind of work people do change as countries develop? This lesson covers both.

Measures of development

GNP or GDP per person: the average income per person, often in US dollars. Higher means more developed. It is easy to compare, but it is an average and hides inequality. It also misses unpaid work and quality of life.

Social measures

Life expectancy: how long people live on average. Infant mortality: deaths of babies per thousand born. Literacy rate: the percentage of adults who can read and write. Access to clean water and doctors per person. The Human Development Index combines life expectancy, education and income.

Relationships between measures

As GNP per person rises, life expectancy and literacy usually rise: a positive relationship. Infant mortality and birth rate usually fall as GNP rises: a negative relationship. Some measures show no clear relationship. Describe the pattern and any anomalies.

Employment sectors

Primary: extracting raw materials, such as farming, fishing and mining. Secondary: manufacturing and construction. Tertiary: services, such as teaching, health and retail. Quaternary: research, information technology and advanced services.

Employment structure and development

In LEDCs, most people work in the primary sector, especially farming. In MEDCs, most work in the tertiary sector, with few in farming. Newly industrialising countries have a growing secondary sector.

Why the structure changes

Mechanisation of farming means fewer farm workers are needed, so the primary share falls. Industry grows with investment, and later moves to cheaper countries, so the secondary share falls in MEDCs. Rising incomes increase demand for services, so the tertiary share grows.

Structure by type of country

The typical employment structure for each type of country.

Predicting change

If asked how a country's structure is likely to change, suggest a fall in primary, a rise in secondary or tertiary, and give a reason for each. For example: primary falls as farming is mechanised. Tertiary rises as incomes grow and people spend more on services.

Mistakes that lose marks

Mistake one: saying GNP shows quality of life. Mistake two: putting teaching in the secondary sector. Mistake three: using statistics when told not to. The fix: the right sector, the right measure, and the instructions.

The full-marks tip

The full-marks tip: use both economic and social measures, and say what each misses. When comparing structures, use comparative words: more, fewer, higher.

On one card

So, on one card: development and employment. Keep it for revision.