The three main sectors of the economy are:
Primary sector – extraction of raw materials – mining, fishing and agriculture.
Secondary / manufacturing sector – concerned with producing finished goods, e.g. factories making toys, cars, food, and clothes.
Service / ‘tertiary’ sector – concerned with offering intangible goods and services to consumers. This includes retail, tourism, banking, entertainment and I.T. services.
A primitive economy will primarily be based on the primary sector – with most people employed in agriculture and the production of food.
As an economy develops, improved technology enables less labour to be needed in the primary sector and allows more workers to produce manufactured goods. Further development enables the growth of the service sector and leisure activities.