Data Underload  / 

Shifts in Job Distribution

By Nathan Yau

In the 1950s, almost half of all employed people were either in farming or manufacturing. As you can imagine, work changed a bit over the years. Here’s how the distribution of jobs across occupation groups shifted.

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

1950

’60

’70

’80

’90

2000

’10

’17

Source: Census Bureau

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.

Chart Type Used

Stacked Area Chart

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

See What You Get

Favorites

Visualizing the Uncertainty in Data

Data is an abstraction, and it’s impossible to encapsulate everything it represents in real life. So there is uncertainty. Here are ways to visualize the uncertainty.

Shifting Incomes for American Jobs

For various occupations, the difference between the person who makes the most and the one who makes the least can be significant.

A Day in the Life: Women and Men

Using the past couple of years of data from the American Time Use Survey, I simulated a working day for men and women to see how schedules differ. Watch it play out in this animation.

How to Spot Visualization Lies

Many charts don’t tell the truth. This is a simple guide to spotting them.