Soviet Union: number of workers in each industry 1940

In terms of Soviet economic success in the mid-twentieth century, industrialization was generally the area that saw the most progress in terms of Stalin's five-year plans' targets. By 1940, almost 40 percent of the Soviet workforce was employed in the industrial and manufacturing sector, however, much of this progress was at the expense of the agricultural sector (the largest employment sector before the 1930s), which suffered as a result of this rapid, often mismanaged, transition.

Additionally, during this period, socialist policy focused on increasing the quality of life of Soviet citizens, and therefore placed a much stronger emphasis on tertiary sectors, including education and healthcare.