This paper examines the main determinants of compositional changes in private consumption, output and employment in the post-OPEC 1 period compared with earlier developments. An attempt is made to separate cyclical forces from more permanent ones. This, it is hoped, may shed some light on the likely behaviour of employment in a setting of revived economic growth.

The first part of the paper presents a brief overview of past trends for major categories of private consumption (food, other goods, private services, and energy), private sector output (mining, agriculture, manufacturing, construction and private services), sectoral employment, productivity and foreign trade shares. The second part shows empirical results from sectoral output-, private consumption- and sectoral productivity functions. Assisted by these findings a third and final part evaluates the likely evolution of sectoral output and employment in a period of faster economic growth and, as well, its implications for ...