occupational structure This refers to the aggregate distribution of occupations in society, classified according to skill level, economic function, or social status. The occupational structure is shaped by various FACTORS: the structure of the economy (the RELATIVE weight of different industries); technology and bureaucracy (the distribution of technological skills and administrative responsibility); the labour-market (which determines the pay and CONDITIONS attached to occupations); and by status and prestige (influenced by occupational closure, life-style, and social values). It is difficult to attach causal primacy to any one of these factors; moreover, their role in shaping the occupational structure changes over time, as society changes. For example, during the early phase of European industrialization, the dominance of manufacturing MADE for a preponderance of manual occupations, while in recent times the shrinking of this sector, together with the growth in services, has made for an expansion of white-collar occupations. The distinction between manual and non-manual occupations has also become blurred.