Annual average employment growth in Western European countries 1950-1970, by sector
Employment growth was largely driven by the expansion of manufacturing and non-agricultural sectors of the economy, although these developments varied by country. Belgium was the country with the largest discrepancy between these sectors, as non-agricultural employment grew, on average, five times faster than manufacturing's employment rate. This discrepancy was due to Belgium's already-established industrial sector, which occupied a much larger share of economic output at the beginning of this period than most other countries. Employment in non-agricultural and non-industrial sectors also boomed in this period due to the enlargement of the welfare state, the emergence of service industries, and secondary and higher education expansion.