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.
Total number of workers in each industry of Soviet Russia and the other Soviet States in 1940
(in 1000's)
Characteristic
Russia
Rest of USSR*
Industry
9,025
4,054
Transport
2,269
1,256
Trade and public catering; logistics and distribution; warehousing and storage
2,052
1,299
Agriculture
1,687
1,016
Education
1,468
1,014
Construction
1,275
718
General government, co-operative and public administration
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Russian Federal State Statistics Service. (December 31, 2015). Total number of workers in each industry of Soviet Russia and the other Soviet States in 1940 (in 1000's) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 08, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1261041/ussr-wwii-workers-per-industry/
Russian Federal State Statistics Service. "Total number of workers in each industry of Soviet Russia and the other Soviet States in 1940 (in 1000's)." Chart. December 31, 2015. Statista. Accessed December 08, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1261041/ussr-wwii-workers-per-industry/
Russian Federal State Statistics Service. (2015). Total number of workers in each industry of Soviet Russia and the other Soviet States in 1940 (in 1000's). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 08, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1261041/ussr-wwii-workers-per-industry/
Russian Federal State Statistics Service. "Total Number of Workers in Each Industry of Soviet Russia and The Other Soviet States in 1940 (in 1000's)." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Dec 2015, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1261041/ussr-wwii-workers-per-industry/
Russian Federal State Statistics Service, Total number of workers in each industry of Soviet Russia and the other Soviet States in 1940 (in 1000's) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1261041/ussr-wwii-workers-per-industry/ (last visited December 08, 2024)
Total number of workers in each industry of Soviet Russia and the other Soviet States in 1940 (in 1000's) [Graph], Russian Federal State Statistics Service, December 31, 2015. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1261041/ussr-wwii-workers-per-industry/