ABSTRACT
The growth of capitalist economies can be seen as a progression from the predominance of primary occupations to the rise of tertiary occupations. In the pre-industrial world most people were involved in the primary occupations of agriculture. Urban centres were few and small. The process of industrialisation involved the growing importance of secondary occupations such as steel-making. Certain industries were attracted to the urban areas and there was a direct relationship between the growth of the manufacturing sector and the rise of cities. As the economy grows the tertiary occupations of the service sector become more important. The trend of primary to tertiary employment has a definite urban manifestation. In the early stages urban centres are small; during industrialisation they expand; while in the more recent stages the cities become more service-than industrial-oriented. The threefold classification of employment which we have used tells us about the type of employment. It distinguishes between farmers, factory workers and teachers.
