Data Underload  / 

Occupation Growth and Decline

By Nathan Yau

We looked at shifts in job distribution over the past several decades, but it was difficult to see by how much each occupation group changed individually. The chart below makes the changes more obvious. For example, computer and math jobs went from relative nothing to a +544% explosion since 1970.

Changes Since 1970

As you might expect, jobs in computers and math grew a lot over the past several decades, which changed everything.

Notes

The data comes from a combination of the American Community Survey and the Decennial Census. I downloaded the data via IPUMS. They provide unified occupation classifications, which allows for comparison of jobs over time.

I analyzed and prepared the data in R. I made the chart with D3.js.


Chart Type Used

Baseline Chart

Become a member. Support an independent site. Get extra visualization goodness.

See What You Get

Favorites

Jobs Charted by State and Salary

Jobs and pay can vary a lot depending on where you live, based on 2013 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Here’s an interactive to look.

The Changing American Diet

See what we ate on an average day, for the past several decades.

Toilet Paper Calculator

Maybe you’re starting to run low. Here’s how much you’ll need when you go to restock.

A Day in the Life: Work and Home

I simulated a day for employed Americans to see when and where they work.