As you drive, walk, or take the train to work tomorrow, consider this interesting fact:
[M]odernization of large ecnomies is largely bypassing industrialization and going straight for service industries - in our western economies the service sector was about two-thirds of the economy, and has grown further (to 71.2%). But the so large parts of the world economy are moving straight to service industries that their roles have changed. Worldwide, in 1996 agriculture employed 42%, industry 21%, and services 37%. In 2006, the numbers are 36%, 22%, and 42%. So in the period, services has overtaken farming on a global scale.
To me this stuck out as the news of the day. This is a tremendous milestone. In the west we’re accustomed to the farming sector being 4-6% or so, but that certaintly not true in most of the word. You might think the industrial revolution was a long time ago, but the reality is that more people have continued to work in farming. Until sometime in these past few years that is.
And thus passes a tremendous milestone in the history of our species. Farming, invented around 8000 BC, quickly dominated human activity and has so continued to for the following 10,000 years (give or take a few). And we even find that the tradition agriculture->industry->services transition doesn’t hold up globally. The industry segment simply isn’t big enough, so many workers skip to services.
So despite what they tell you at coffee tomorrow about the adoption rates your marketing people expect for your product, you might want to point out the longest paradigm shift of all time; farming handed over the crown to the service sector only last year or thereabouts.
So, the next time the marketing guys talk about the next big thing, you may want to refer them to farmer guy, who managed to hang on to the crown for 10,000 years.
Do you really think that some dude selling cell phone service is gonna be around that long ?
Via: Instapundit
September 9th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Capitalism Oversees Monumental Transition…
A recent study has found that for the first time in human history farming is no longer the dominant industry. This monumental moment occurred only when socialisms like India and China embraced capitalism.
Human beings are awesome. Get out of their way…