Question

Table 1. Employment by major industry sector, 1996, 2006, and projected 2016
Thousands of jobs
Industry sector
Services-providing
Utilities
Wholesale trade
Retail trade
Transportation and warehousing
Information
Financial activities
Professional and business services
Educational services
Health care and social assistance
Leisure and hospitality
Other services
Federal government
State and local government
1996
2006
2016
Average annual
Numeric change rate of change
1996-
1996-
2006-
2006
2006-16
2006
16
97,042.9 114,407.3 130,189.7 17,364.4 15,782.4
639.5
548.5
517.6
-91.0
-30.9
5,522.1
5,897.7
6,326.2
375.6
428.5
14.142.6
15,319.4
16,006.4
1.176.8
687.0
3.935.5
4,465.8
4,962.0
530.3
496.2
2,940.0
3,054.9
3,266.7
114.9
211.8
6,968.6
8,363.2
9,570.1
1,394.6 1,206.9
13,461.8
17,551.6 21,643.7
4,089.8 4,092.1
2,077.5
2,918.4
3,527.4
840.9
609.0
11,604.8 14,919.8 18,954.1
3,315.0 4,034.3
10.776.5 13.143.4 15,016.7
2,366.9 1,873.3
5,434.9
6,234.6
7.077.2
799.7
842.6
2,877.0
2.728.31
2,625.7
-148.7
-102.6
16,662.1 19,261.7 20,696.1
2,599.6 1,434.4
1.7
-1.5
0.7
0.8
1.3
0.4
1.8
2.7
3.5
2.5
2.0
1.4
-0.5
1.3
-0.6
0.7
0.4
1.1
0.7
1.4
2.1
1.9
2.4
1.3
1.3
-0.4
1.5
0.7
Based on the above chart, which industry’s average annual rate of change is projected to decrease the most in the 2006-2016 period as compared to its average annual rate of change during 1996-2006?
a.
Utilities
b.
Educational services
c.
Federal government
d.
State and local government

Answer 1

b. Educational services

Explanation: Educational services falls from an average annual rate of 3.5% (1996–2006) to 2.4% (2006–2016), a decrease of 1.1 percentage points — the largest decline among the choices.