1970s Employment

Words: 1480
Pages: 6

The 1970s marked a period of global instability, with a full-blown economic recession coupled with the dual crises of energy and oil prices in 1970 and 1973 respectively. The concepts of neoliberalism and new capitalism also gained traction during this time, and onset of deindustrialization and globalisation led to a major restructuring of work and employment in the United Kingdom over the last 40 years. Throughout this essay, I will be looking at the tertiarisation, flexibilisation and relocation of employment since the 1970s to show why I believe that the change in the nature and location of work over the last few decades has been epochal instead of gradual.
The UK experienced rapid deindustrialisation following the 1970s; in 1990 there were 4.6 million manufacturing workers in the UK, a dramatic fall from the 7 million present in 1979. By 2009, the figure would drop further to just 2.9 million. This was a result of policies put in place by the Thatcher administration to reduce the reliance of the UK economy on manufacturing and other secondary sectors following the 1970s global
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For example, while the absolute number of females in the workforce has increased over the last 40 years, the nature of jobs that females usually partake in has seen little change. Females are usually seen as more dexterous, nimble, and service oriented. As a result, they dominate sectors associated with these skills, such as nursing and cleaning, and this has not changed over time. In addition, executive management positions within companies have typically been filled by male employees, and this has not changed significantly despite the increased number of females entering employment. However, while certain trends have vaguely remained constant over time, these are fairly minor aspects when considered alongside the changes of the composition of the UK