Posted by Anjali Kaur on May 03, 2020
Occupational structure means the distribution of the workforce among different sectors of an economy. The sectors of the economy include;

Occupation Structure of Indian Economy at the time of Independence

Occupation Structure of Indian Economy at the time of Independence means the distribution of the workforce among different sectors of an economy. The sectors of the economy include;

  • The Primary Sector (Agricultural Sector)– Production of a good through extraction and collection of natural resources is called the primary sector. For example, Farming, forestry, hunting, fishing, and mining
  • The secondary sector (Industrial Sector)- It includes activities in which natural products are changed into other forms through ways of manufacturing. For example, using sugarcane as raw material, we make Sugar or Gur.
  • The tertiary sector (Service Sector)- It includes activities that help in the development of the primary and secondary sectors. These activities, by themselves, do not produce a good but they are an aid or support for the production process. For example, Teachers, doctors, washermen, barbers, cobblers, lawyers, call centers, software companies, etc.

Occupation structure of the Indian economy at the time of independence

The state of occupational structure on the eve of Independence was as follows:
(a) Pre-dominance of Agriculture Sector. The agricultural sector accounted for the largest share of work-force with 70-75%, while the manufacturing accounted for only 10% and the service sector at 15-20%.
(b) Growing Regional Variations. There was growing regional
variation. In the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, due to which the dependence of the workforce on the agricultural sector declined. On the other hand, there was an increase in the share of the workforce In the agriculture sector in the states of Orissa, Rajasthan, and Punjab.


Thus, India’s occupational structure was static and unbalanced.

Read about The state of the Indian economy and the various sectors of the Indian economy;

I hope it was helpful!

Photo by BBH Singapore on Unsplash

Comments are closed.

Learn with Anjali started because there wasn't an easy-to-consume resource to help students with their studies. Anjali is on single-minded mission to make you successful!

If you would like to suggest topics, leave feedback or share your story, please leave a message.

Leave a message