Economic sector
Economical term / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
One classical breakdown of economic activity distinguishes three sectors:[1]
- Primary: involves the retrieval and production of raw-material commodities, such as corn, coal, wood or iron. Miners, farmers and fishermen are all workers in the primary sector.
- Secondary: involves the transformation of raw or intermediate materials into goods, as in steel into cars, or textiles into clothing. Builders and dressmakers work in the secondary sector.
- Tertiary: involves the supplying of services to consumers and businesses, such as babysitting, cinemas or banking. Shopkeepers and accountants work in the tertiary sector.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/The_distribution_of_the_workforce_among_the_three_sectors.png/640px-The_distribution_of_the_workforce_among_the_three_sectors.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Clark%27s_sector_model.svg/320px-Clark%27s_sector_model.svg.png)
In the 20th century, economists began to suggest that traditional tertiary services could be further distinguished from "quaternary" and quinary service sectors. Economic activity in the hypothetical quaternary sector comprises information- and knowledge-based services, while quinary services include industries related to human services and hospitality.[2]
Economic theories divide economic sectors further into economic industries.