Page "Economy of Finland" Paragraph 5

Finland's export-dependent economy continuously adapted to the world market ; in doing so, it changed Finnish society as well.

The prolonged worldwide boom, beginning in the late 1940s and lasting until the first oil crisis in 1973, was a challenge that Finland met and from which it emerged with a highly sophisticated and diversified economy, including a new occupational structure.

Some sectors kept a fairly constant share of the work force.

Transportation and construction, for example, each accounted for between 7 and 8 percent in both 1950 and 1985, and manufacturing's share rose only from 22 to 24 percent ; however, both the commercial and the service sectors more than doubled their share of the work force, accounting, respectively, for 21 and 28 percent in 1985.

The greatest change was the decline of the economically active population employed in agriculture and forestry, from approximately 50 percent in 1950 to 10 percent in 1985.

The exodus from farms and forests provided the manpower needed for the growth of other sectors.