What are the salient features of a post-industrial society?

A few of the most salient aspects of a post-industrial society include:

• A service economy based primarily on the exchange of services rather than goods. Instead of relying on agriculture and manufacturing, much of the GDP of a post-industrial society is composed of services such as hospitality (hotels, restaurants), health care (doctors, physical therapists, personal trainers), entertainment (movies, music, writing), technology (software, social media platforms). In 2011, the service sector composed almost 80% of the United States GDP.


• Technology and automation take the place of jobs once done by both blue collar and white collar workers. The most valuable “wealth” created in a post-industrial society is commonly technology, not manufactured goods. Highly successful technology start-ups like Facebook and Google provide evidence of the huge market for new technology in a post-industrial society.


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  Economic Globalization—the increasing interconnectedness of the global economy. Manufacturing jobs, in a post-industrial society, are commonly sent overseas to developing countries where labor is cheaper.

In a post-industrial society, highly skilled labor that can produce knowledge, creativity, and technology becomes increasingly valuable and highly compensated, while jobs and careers that in the past could provide a solid living are increasingly becoming obsolete due to automation and the outsourcing of jobs. Education that can lead to highly skilled labor becomes paramount in a post-industrial society, so keep studying!