De-industrialization of labor forces in select European countries 1960s-1990s
Between the 1960s and the 1990s, the share of the UK's labor force employed in industrial sectors dropped from approximately one half to one fifth of the total workforce. This was due to growth in the public and service sectors, the impact of automation on industrial jobs, and the affordability of foreign imports. The trend observed in the UK was reflective of the general trend across Western Europe, as the region de-industrialized in the late 20th century.
