WAEC Economics 2021 Theory question 101

Theory question 101

Population

Table 1 below shows the distribution of the population of a country in various occupations. Study it and answer the questions that follow.
Occupation | Total
Shoe production | 30 million
Banking | 37 million
Fish processing | 19 million
Warehousing | 12.2 million
Mining | 16.1 million
Fish farming | 10.8 million
Food crop production | 15.6 million
Baking | 19 million
Laundry | 10.3 million
(a) Calculate the size of the entire labour force in the country.
(b) What percentage of the labour force is engaged in the: (i) primary sector; (ii) secondary sector (iii) tertiary sector?
(c) Calculate the ratio of the workers in mining to the workers in shoe production.
(d) Calculate the percentage of the people engaged in warehousing.
(e)(i) Identify the type of economy depicted in the table. (ii) Give a reason for your answer in 1(e)(i).

Show the model answer
Model answer

(a) 30 + 37 + 19 + 12.2 + 16.1 + 10.8 + 15.6 + 19 + 10.3 = 170 million
(b)(i) Primary (mining, fish farming, food crop production) = 42.5 million: 42.5/170 × 100 = 25%
(ii) Secondary (shoe production, fish processing, baking) = 68 million: 68/170 × 100 = 40%
(iii) Tertiary (banking, warehousing, laundry) = 59.5 million: 59.5/170 × 100 = 35%
(c) Mining : shoe production = 16.1 : 30 (about 0.54 : 1, or 161 : 300)
(d) 12.2/170 × 100 ≈ 7.2%
(e)(i) A developed (industrialised) economy.
(ii) Most of the labour force (75%) is in the secondary and tertiary sectors; only 25% is in primary production.

Explanation

Sort each occupation into primary, secondary or tertiary before adding.