By the end of the 20th century, less than 2 percent of the population in most post industrial countries were engaged in the production of food. Without the need to spend their days hunting or tilling the soil people were freed to spend their time in a variety of specialized pursuits. Entertainment, science, finance, retail, and marketing replaced farming and fishing as the primary occupations in most urban areas, leading to an overall increase in material wealth, education, and industrial output.