

Dynamic graph of occupations in the U.S. (1850-2000) - smikhanov
http://flare.prefuse.org/launch/apps/job_voyager

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jrwoodruff
I didn't notice at first, but if you start typing in the search box in the
upper left, it pulls out individual professions. Pretty cool.

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tocomment
One trend I see is towards more specialization i.e,. less big blocks as you go
to the right.

It's neat to see how farming has gone from a major percentage of workers to
almost nothing. I kept hoping to see some big block of jobs in our time that
could go away in the next 100 years. But nothing jumped out at me.

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glymor
Truck drivers maybe

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tocomment
Does anyone know what "operative" is?

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glymor
operative ( _plural_ operatives)

    
    
      1. An employee or other worker with some particular function or skill.
      2. A spy, secret agent, or detective.
    

I'm voting for number 2.

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tocomment
wow, I've never heard that word yet 7% of the population lists that as their
job. Strange.

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lliiffee
The most interesting thing might be the fraction of workers that are male.
There is a large jump in female employment around 1960, which isn't
surprising. But apparently, there was also a big jump in 1860!?

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bitslayer
The civil war killed a lot of dudes.

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smikhanov
If hackers fall into "Engineer" category, there's only around 0.25% of them

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herdrick
This is so great. If only it had more granularity, a longer tail of obscure
occupations. There's a lot to be observed here about terminology, too: compare
'constable' and 'police*'.

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febeling
Interesting, that "Manager/Owner" is the most stable occupation. And all the
other (larger) occupations are coming and going.

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aristus
Also carpenters and general artisans. Fairly constant % of the population for
the last 100 years.

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radu_floricica
Growing I can see only Manager/Owner, Clerical worker, Nurse and Cook. Oh, and
Professional.

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gurtwo
Bus drivers in 1850?? Unless 'bus' is taken as a generic term

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herdrick
Same then as now: a mass transit vehicle. Pulled by horses back then, though.
And usually a private business.

