In the 1970s and 1980s, employment in middle-income occupationspayrol

Question

In the 1970s and 1980s, employment in middle-income occupations—payroll processing and accountancy, for example—grew faster across Europe and the United States than employment in lower-income jobs. But around the early 1990s something changed. With few exceptions, employment in middle-income occupations began to decline as a share of the total, while the share of both low- and high-income occupations rose. This pattern of polarization occurred in countries with very different welfare systems and levels of unionization and collective bargaining.
 https://www.starttest.com/ITDVersions/23.0.0.0/itdmedia.aspx?data=MTQwMjE0NjU3NCwyMy4wLjAuMCwxNjUzMDgsMzE0LDE5LEVOVSwzRjkzQ0QxMS0xQzJDLTQ3OUItOEFDNS0wNkVERUYwMTQzNzcsLDcyMDU3NTk0MDM3OTI3OTM2LDAsMCwsLDE3LDEsZWRnZSwwLDAsMCw1MzY4NzA5MTIsMjIsMCww-sxiYr%2fLLoDI%3d&cv=17&programid=314&formid=19&language=ENU&ck=72057594037927936_OVR536870912_DM22&urid=290-34-ENU-ItemPools-Da-D032023NP/GID0468.gifIn a study aimed at discerning the effects of information technology (IT) on numbers of middle-income jobs, researchers developed a method for classifying tasks as routine or nonroutine. Jobs were deemed more or less subject to automation on the basis of this classification. Jobs thus subject to automation included many jobs in middle-income occupations.

With this classification of jobs, the researchers divided the United States into regions, or commuting zones, deemed to correspond to labor markets. They found that employment polarization—the decline in middle-income jobs, as a share of the total, accompanied by increases in the shares of both low- and high-income jobs—between 1980 and 2005 was most marked in regions where employment in jobs subject to automation initially predominated.In an effort to examine the effects of IT on patterns of employment polarization, researchers analyzed industry-level data from eleven countries—nine European countries, Japan, and the US—for the years between 1980 and 2004. Across the board, they found that industries that adopted IT at faster rates (as measured by their IT spending as well as their spending on research and development) saw faster growth in demand for highly educated workers and the sharpest declines in demand for people with intermediate levels of education. This suggested to the researchers a pronounced association between IT and employment polarization.

chetan2u · Accepted Answer

Q.1. The support provided in the given information for the claim that a significant amount of employment polarization is due to IT would be most weakened by adding which of the following assumptions?
 Across the board, they found that industries that adopted IT at faster rates ( as measured by their IT spending as well as their spending on research and development ) saw faster growth in demand for highly educated workers and the sharpest declines in demand for people with intermediate levels of education. This suggested to the researchers a pronounced association between IT and employment polarization.

The support that has been given for increase in employment polarization and IT is given by the bold italics above, that is more IT spending and more R & D spending.
 We have to find an option that weakens the above.

Option C - Commuting zones wherein business and industry spend the most on IT and research and development tend to have the least amount of employment polarization. - does exactly the same thing.
It says the opposite of what was used to support IT increasing employment polarization.

Q.2.
 Across Europe and in the US in the 1970s and 1980s, the increase in the number of middle-income occupations was greater than the increase in number of lower-income occupations. 
 A Trap: The first few lines say that ' In the 1970s and 1980s, employment in middle-income occupations grew faster across Europe and the United States than employment in lower-income jobs.' If you look at the comparison, it is rate while the option compares the number. 
Thus,  NOT supported

In Germany, the hours worked in middle-income jobs, as a percentage of total hours worked, was greater in 1993 than in 2006. 
This can be read directly from the graph given.  Supported

Some industries that have adopted IT now employ fewer highly educated workers NOT trained in IT than they previously did. 
There is no discussion on the highly educated workers other than IT.  NOT supported

mustafa87  and  Shwarma

Shyna_ · Answer

Hey,

Question 2, Sub Question 1 :: 'Across Europe and in the US in the 1970s and 1980s, the increase in the number of middle-income occupations was greater than the increase in number of lower-income occupations.' - is stating this to be incorrect.
Whereas the opening statement of the passage says 'In the 1970s and 1980s, employment in middle-income occupations—payroll processing and accountancy, for example—grew faster across Europe and the United States than employment in lower-income jobs.'

DerekLin · Answer

I was confused as well at the beginning. But I think the question wants us the distinguish the difference between growth rate and growth number. "grew faster" means the growth rate is faster instead of the number. For example, there is 1 middle-income job, and 10,000 lower-income jobs in the 1970s. 2 middle-income jobs, and 10,003 lower-income jobs in the 1980s. The growth rate of middle-income jobs is higher than lower-income jobs, but the number of middle-income jobs is increasing less than lower-income jobs.

mustafa87 · Answer

The grammatical comparison in question A, according to my understanding, is as follows:
In the 1970's and 1980's employment in X grew faster than employment in Y. 
X = middle income jobs
Y = lower income jobs

Although, SC is not part of GMATfocus, it is being tested here and I fail to see how the comparison does not directly compare middle income and lower income jobs.

Please clarify.

chetan2u 
 KarishmaB

chetan2u · Answer

Hi

You are fine with your understanding but you are missing out on the point that what is given in para is faster rate and what is being spoken in the option is number. 
Faster rate May not result of in more number for example 2% of 100 will be less than 1% of 500.

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curiousPope · Answer

chetan2u 
 KarishmaB

Please help me with the second question. Also please explain the graph.

chetan2u · Answer

I will explain the graph. Try the second question based on that understanding. If a query still exists, pl ask.

Now, we are looking at total work hours.
Netherlands: In 1996, if the percentage of the work hours by low-income workers, medium income workers and high income workers are l, m and h, then in 2003, the shares became l+2.5, m-5 and h+2.5, that is 5% drop in m was compensated by increase in l and h.

Similarly for other countries too, there was a drop in work hours by middle-income occupations and simulatenous increase in other two.

farmleap456 · Answer

Question 3  :

l. In some of the countries in the European Union not shown in the chart, the increase in income polarization has been less than it has been in the Netherlands.

We cannot infer anything from any other country in the EU not shown in the graph, hence  NO .

ll. During the time under consideration, Japan was roughly equal to the EU average in the extent to which job polarization increased.

Same as above, cannot be inferred. There is no data for Japan, hence  NO .

lll. Industries that have adopted IT at faster rates have tended to show greater growth in employment of IT professionals than in employment of other highly educated workers.

Match well with third tab: "Across the board, they found that  industries that adopted IT at faster rates  (as measured by their IT spending as well as their spending on research and development)  saw faster growth in demand for highly educated workers  and the sharpest declines in demand for people with intermediate levels of education."

However, passage mentions  growth in demand , not growth in employment, i.e. cannot be inferred, hence  NO .

rasifaedwita · Answer

Q2. how do you imply that the increase in the number of middle-income occupations in Germany was greater in 1993 than 2006? I'm still a bit confused about the graph... thanks

HarshavardhanR · Answer

Question 2:  if the statement is strongly supported by the given information, Yes. Else, No.
 
  S1:   Across Europe and in the US in the 1970s and 1980s, the increase in the number of middle-income occupations was greater than the increase in number of lower-income occupations.
  
 We only know that middle income occupations "grew faster" i.e., their growth rate was more.  This does not really mean that the actual number of jobs increased by more.  
 
 For instance -> Say  
 Lower income jobs -> increased from 1000 to 1200. 20% growth rate. +200 increase in #jobs.
Middle income jobs -> increased from 100 to 150. 50% growth rate. Only +50 increase in #jobs. 
 
So, while it is true that middle-income occupations  grew faster , there is no basis to say that the absolute increase in  number of  middle-income jobs was more than the increase in number of lower-income jobs. 
 
So,  NO .
 
  S2:   In Germany, the hours worked in middle-income jobs, as a percentage of total hours worked, was greater in 1993 than in 2006.
  
 Check the graph in tab 1. This statement is clearly true. The hours worked in middle income jobs as a percentage of total hours worked - we can see that this reduced by around 8% for Germany from 1993 to 2006. Hence, this was clearly greater in 1993 than in 2006.
 
 So,  YES .
 
  S3:   Some industries that have adopted IT now employ fewer highly educated workers NOT trained in IT than they previously did.
  
 We do not have any basis for this statement. The passage does not specify anything about how highly educated workers not trained in IT are impacted by the IT adoption.

So,  NO .

Harsha

Ilanchezhiyan · Answer

I could not understand the graph. Can someone help? I am not getting year by year data from 1996 to 2003? Thanks.

tdew · Answer

The graph shows what it looked like in Year 2006 compared with Year 1993.
For Germany, it can be interpreted that if Middle-income in 1993 = 100, then Middle-income in 2006 = 100-8 = 92.

Making Q2 sub 2 :  In Germany, the hours worked in middle-income jobs, as a percentage of total hours worked, was greater in 1993 than in 2006.
  -> "Yes".

Jxxyx · Answer

Sharing one more question from this stem https://gmatclub.com/forum/download/file.php?id=86409 GMAT-Club-Forum-vryg5d9w.png

Bunuel · Answer

Isn't it the very first question in the original post?

	The degree of correlation between individual income and level of educational attainment varies significantly among the various countries wherein the studies described in the given information were conducted.
	Commuting zones with the least amount of employment polarization tend to have the lowest levels of average educational attainment.
	Commuting zones wherein business and industry spend the most on IT and research and development tend to have the least amount of employment polarization.
	A significant number of commuting zones have more employment polarization than other commuting zones.
	Commuting zones with the greatest amount of employment polarization tend to have the lowest average level of educational attainment.

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Yes	No
		Across Europe and in the US in the 1970s and 1980s, the increase in the number of middle-income occupations was greater than the increase in number of lower-income occupations.
		In Germany, the hours worked in middle-income jobs, as a percentage of total hours worked, was greater in 1993 than in 2006.
		Some industries that have adopted IT now employ fewer highly educated workers NOT trained in IT than they previously did.

Yes	No
		In some of the countries in the European Union not shown in the chart, the increase in income polarization has been less than it has been in the Netherlands.
		During the time under consideration, Japan was roughly equal to the EU average in the extent to which job polarization increased.
		Industries that have adopted IT at faster rates have tended to show greater growth in employment of IT professionals than in employment of other highly educated workers.

GMAT Multi-Source Reasoning (MSR) Questions

In the 1970s and 1980s, employment in middle-income occupationspayrol

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615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

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