Basic industries are the backbone of the economy. They are essential to the functioning of the economies in these modern days, delivering various raw materials and goods in order to support many other industries. These basic industries continue to contribute to the global economy, offering a number of job opportunities across the world, and have been supporting the livelihood of millions of people. But What are the basic industries? Are there employment opportunities in basic industries? What will be the job trends and growth opportunities in the basic industries? Let us understand all these things in this blog.
What are basic industries?
Basic industries are the industries that provide raw materials that are used for the production of other goods. Some of the basic industries include agriculture, forestry, mining and extraction, manufacturing, oil and energy, etc. These basic industries play an important role in the economy, offering diverse job opportunities to millions of people across the world with different levels of education and experience. Some of the jobs in the basic industries require specialised training/certification, and some other jobs need a college degree in agriculture, science or engineering.
Some of the basic industries that are acting as the backbone of the world economy are:
- Agriculture: Agriculture includes activities like farming, production of livestock and fishing and delivering food and raw materials for other various industries. Some of the Agricultural jobs include farmers, agricultural engineers, ranchers, agricultural engineers and various other roles that are involved in the production of crops, agricultural products and livestock.
- Mining and extraction: The activities included in this sector include extraction of oil and gas, metal ore mining, core mining and delivering raw materials for various other industries like manufacturing and construction. Some of the mining jobs include miners, geologists, drilling operators, engineers and various other roles related to the extraction of coal, metal, minerals, oil and gas.
- Forestry: The activities included in forestry are logging as well as pulp and paper manufacturing, and delivering raw materials to various other industries like construction and packaging. Some of the forestry jobs include foresters, pulp and paper mill workers, sawmill operators, loggers and various other roles related to the production of wood products.
- Manufacturing: The activities included in the manufacturing industry includes the production of textile, machinery, food products and chemicals. It is one of the important sources of economic growth and employment. Some of the manufacturing jobs include machinist, production workers, engineers and various other roles involved in manufacturing machinery, chemicals, textiles and other products.
- Oil and Energy: The activities included in the oil and energy sector includes natural gas distribution, electricity generation and renewable energy production. Some of the oil and energy jobs include engineers, electricians, technicians and other roles related to the distribution, generation and production of oil and different energy types like natural gas, electricity and renewable energy.
All these industries offer various employment opportunities for people with various education and experience levels. While some of them need a college degree, others need specialised training in that particular area. Employment opportunities in the basic industries will always remain steady and may even rise as the demand for the raw material and basic goods continue to increase.
How many jobs are available in basic industries?
As per the statistics, 1.3 billion people across the globe were employed by the agriculture and related industries, 50 million people were employed by mining and quarrying, 13.7 million people were employed by the forestry and logging industry, Around 5 million people were employed by the oil and gas extraction and electricity generation sector as per the International labour organisation, 470 million people across the world were employed by the manufacturing sector including both basic as well as the non basics industries.
These statistics will be changing constantly and can be affected by different factors like economic conditions, advancements in technologies and the shifts in global demand. Employment in the basic industry also may vary based on the region and country. If you consider developing countries like India, the agricultural sector is highly employed, while in developing countries, the manufacturing sector is highly employed.
The basic industries, apart from offering a significant number of jobs across the world, also include challenges like advancements in technology and automation of products. So one needs to possess the necessary skills in order to obtain job opportunities in basic industries.
Some of the other challenges in basic industries are associated with environmental concerns like pollution, exploitation of natural resources and habitat destruction that may result in a negative impact on environmental and public health. Some of the basic industries like mining, energy, manufacturing, etc., involve physical labor and can even lead to injuries, respiratory problems, long term health issues, etc.
Job trends and growth opportunities in the basic industries
By 2050 the world population may reach around 9.7 billion. So there will be a rise in the demand for food. As a result, the demand for jobs related to agriculture will increase. Also the demand for organic and sustainable farming will also increase. Even the demand for metals and minerals that are used in the electronics production and renewable energy will always be steady. So skilled workers in these fields will always have a number of job opportunities.
The demand for wood products, paper, and packing materials will also not decrease. So the individuals relying on these jobs will also have a number of job opportunities. There is an increase in the demand for workers in the field of renewable energy as the world is willing to reduce greenhouse emissions and transition to a more sustainable energy mix.
Not only these, but also other basic industries like the fishing industry, construction industry and transportation industry have a demand for skilled individuals.
Conclusion:
In a nutshell, Basic industry offers people many job opportunities in various sectors like agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, energy, construction, transportation, etc. Even in the future, these industries are expected to offer a number of job opportunities, from entry-level positions to skilled and technical roles, and provide job security with career advancements. We hope you found this blog helpful. For more such blogs, stay tuned!
Author Bio:
Hi, This is Sai Thirumal, a Research Analyst passionate about writing and staying updated with the evolving tech industry. I specialise in writing blogs and articles on Machine learning, DevOps, Alteryx Course, Anaplan, Tosca, and workday. I enjoy researching the latest technology updates and translating my findings into engaging blogs and articles.
