marioslash wrote:
From 1998 to 2008, the amount of oil exported from the nation of Dettlandia increased by nearly 20% as the world’s demand soared. Yet over the same period, Dettlandia lost over 8,000 jobs in oil drilling and refinement, representing a 25% increase in the nation’s unemployment rate.
Which of the following, if true, would best explain the discrepancy outlined above?
(A) Because of a slumping local economy, Dettlandia also lost 5,000 service jobs and 7,500 manufacturing jobs.
(B) Several other countries in the region reported similar percentages of jobs lost in the oil industry over the same period.
(C) Because of Dettlandia’s overvalued currency, most of the nation’s crude oil is now being refined after it has been exported.
(D) Technological advancements in oil drilling techniques have allowed for a greater percentage of the world’s oil to be obtained from underneath the ocean floor.
(E) Many former oil employees have found more lucrative work in the Dettlandia’s burgeoning precious metals mining industry.
My focus while reading this is to find the connection between the information and the outcome to understand WHAT the discrepancy is in the argument. Since there is a demand for oil and Dettlandia is exporting more than ever before, but employment in that industry is dropping. My first assumption is automation, or outsourcing could cause the discrepancy. So any option that doesn't mention one of the concerns will be eliminated.
A, B, and E are all out of scope for the industry impact and don't mention automation or outsourcing.
D is a strong contender but wouldn't account for WHY people would lose their job if drilling is expanding to other methods of resource gathering.
C mentions outsourcing the refinement of oil. This looks the most correct and aligns with what I was assuming. 👍