Postindustrial

Postindustrial is an adjective used to describe economic and social conditions characteristic of economies that have moved beyond heavy industry toward services, information, and knowledge-based activities. In a postindustrial economy, the share of employment in manufacturing declines as services, finance, healthcare, education, media, and information technology expand. Production often relies on automated processes and global supply chains, with emphasis on design, management, and skilled labor rather than routine factory work.

The term was popularized by sociologist Daniel Bell in The Coming of Post-Industrial Society (1973), though elements of the shift had been anticipated earlier. It denotes a structural transition from tangible goods to intangible products, from physical capital to human and intellectual capital. The pace and salience of the transition have varied by country and region, influenced by policy, education systems, and technology diffusion.

Characteristics include a growing knowledge economy, increased importance of higher education and research and development, and a rise in information-intensive sectors such as computing, communications, finance, and professional services. Urban economies often concentrate around universities and research centers, with service firms becoming the dominant employers. Globalization and automation contribute to changes in employment, income distribution, and regional development, sometimes creating disparities between high-skill urban areas and other regions.

Critics contend that the term can obscure continued manufacturing activity and cyclical variability. Some prefer terms like digital economy or information society, while others view postindustrial as a descriptive phase rather than a fixed state.