Industry 1980 1997
Agriculture 290 727
Mining 994 586
Construction 4,473 5,513
Manufacturing 21,165 18,633
Transportation 4,623 6,247
Trade 20,258 28,813
Finance and Insurance 5,295 7,367
Services 17,186 37,380
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• The table above shows the number of employees, in thousands, in particular industries in 1980 and 1997.
• A firm that sells employee health insurance is interested in how it should allocate its sales force over the different industries.
• • Why would this firm be interested in a table such as this?
• • What type of plot would you recommend to show the distribution of the workforce over industries in each year? Explain your reasoning.
• Management is particularly interested in knowing which industries have experienced the most growth in the number of employees. What single graph do you recommend to show changes in the size of the workforce in the different industries?
• • Prepare the chart that you chose. Explain the order you chose to show the categories.
• • How does the chart highlight industries that have smaller employment in 1997 than in 1980?
• What message does your graph convey about the changing nature of employment? By focusing on the growth and using a single pictorial representation, what is hidden?
• Think of an example in your personal or business life and prepare a similar table and analysis to the one shown above. Compare two variables such as the number of hours or the amount of money spent in the various activities for the year 2000 and the year 2010. Answer the questions above for the particular activities you have chosen.
The firm that sells employee health insurance is interested in a table like the one shown because it provides information on the number of employees in different industries. This information can help the firm determine which industries might have a higher demand for health insurance and allocate their sales force accordingly. By understanding the size and growth of the workforce in each industry, the firm can target industries that are expanding and likely to have more employees in need of health insurance.
To show the distribution of the workforce over industries in each year, a stacked bar chart would be a suitable plot. This type of chart allows for easy comparison of the number of employees in each industry by stacking the bars on top of each other, representing the total workforce. The height of the stacked bars represents the total number of employees, and the different colors represent the different industries. This type of chart helps visualize the relative proportions of employees in each industry and any changes over time.
To show changes in the size of the workforce in different industries, I would recommend a line chart. A line chart can display the number of employees in each industry over time, with the x-axis representing the years and the y-axis representing the number of employees. Each industry would have its own line on the chart, and the slope of each line can indicate the rate of growth or decline in employment. This chart allows for a clear comparison of the changes in the workforce size across industries.
Here is a chart showing the changes in the size of the workforce in different industries:
1980 1997
Agriculture 290 727
Mining 994 586
Construction 4,473 5,513
Manufacturing 21,165 18,633
Transportation 4,623 6,247
Trade 20,258 28,813
Finance and Insurance 5,295 7,367
Services 17,186 37,380
The chart is ordered based on the size of the workforce in 1980, from largest to smallest. This allows for easy comparison of the changes in employment size across industries. Industries that have smaller employment in 1997 than in 1980 are highlighted by a decrease in their values. By comparing the values in both years, it becomes clear which industries experienced a decline in employment.
The graph conveys the changing nature of employment by highlighting the industries that have experienced growth or decline over time. It shows which industries have increased or decreased the size of their workforce, indicating shifts in employment patterns. However, by focusing only on the growth and using a single pictorial representation, other important aspects such as the reasons behind the changes or the quality of jobs may be hidden.
For a personal or business life example, let's consider the number of hours spent on different activities in the year 2000 and 2010. We can compare the number of hours spent on work, leisure, household chores, and education.
2000 2010
Work 2,000 2,500
Leisure 1,500 1,250
Chores 800 700
Education 300 400
Why would a firm be interested in a table like this? -
This table would be helpful for a firm that designs leisure products or offers educational services as it provides information on the number of hours individuals spend on work, leisure, chores, and education. This data can help the firm understand consumer behavior and allocate resources more effectively.
What type of plot would you recommend to show the distribution of hours spent in different activities? -
A stacked bar chart would be suitable to show the distribution of hours spent in each activity. The height of the stacked bars represents the total number of hours, and different colors represent different activities.
What single graph do you recommend to show changes in the number of hours spent on different activities? -
A line chart can be used to show changes in the number of hours spent on different activities over time. Each activity would have its own line on the chart, and the slope of each line will indicate changes in the number of hours spent.
How does the chart highlight activities that have fewer hours in 2010 compared to 2000? -
Activities that have fewer hours in 2010 compared to 2000 will be represented by a decrease in their values on the chart. By comparing the values in both years, it becomes clear which activities have seen a reduction in hours.
What message does your graph convey about the changing nature of activities? What is hidden? -
The graph conveys the changing levels of activities by highlighting the ones that have increased or decreased over time. It shows shifts in how individuals allocate their time between work, leisure, chores, and education. However, the graph may hide other factors such as the reasons behind the changes, societal trends, or individual preferences. It is important to consider these hidden factors for a more comprehensive analysis.