Rate : Agriculture

Rates are used to define comparative statistics that can be mapped and graphed. For example, our occupational information includes counts of the number of workers in employment and out of employment, as well as the total number of workers. We then define a measure called the 'Unemployment Rate', which uses the number out of work rather than the number in work, and expresses it as a percentage of the total, rather than a rate per thousand. The descriptive text in the system is defined mainly for rates.

Identifier:
R_IND_AG
Name:
Agriculture
Type:
Rate (R)
Definition:
IND_SECTOR_GEN:ag * 100.0 / INDUSTRY_TOT:total
Display as:
Continuous time series
Text:
Today agriculture (including fishing) is a tiny sector, employing under 2% of the workforce. Even in 1841 it employed only 20% of workers and only three districts in England and Wales, all in Cambridgeshire, had over 50% of their workers in the sector (more geographically detailed 1841 data might raise this number). Britain was then still a fairly rural society, but large numbers of rural workers were employed in mining, manufacturing and services. Employment in the sector dropped as a proportion of all workers from 20% in 1841 to 12% in 1881 and 5% in 1951, but the actual numbers fell much more slowly, from 1.2m in 1841 to 1m. in 1951. However, mechanisation of farms in the 1950s and 1960s led to a much more rapid decline, so there were only about half a million workers left in 1971.
Between 1851 and 1951, the geographical distribution of agricultural workers changed little: the highest proportions were in East Anglia. In the late 20th century, however, parts of that area saw rapid population growth based on firms moving out from London and new high-tech industry, and agriculture became less important.

Rate " Agriculture " is contained within:


Themes, which organise the database into broad topics:

Entity ID Entity Name
T_IND Industry



Rate " Agriculture " contains no lower-level entities.