Final answer:
The foundation of the postindustrial U.S. economy is rooted in service-oriented jobs and the information sector, reflecting a shift from traditional manufacturing and agricultural jobs to those focused on services and knowledge management.
Step-by-step explanation:
The foundation of the postindustrial U.S. economy consists of advanced professional occupations and service-oriented jobs. As economies evolve from agricultural and industrial phases, the labor force shifts significantly towards tertiary and quaternary sectors, which include services such as healthcare, finance, and technology, as well as the management of information and creative industries. This shift has resulted from the rise of the information age and can be seen in the distribution of jobs with data showing that a significant majority of the U.S. workforce is now employed in information and service sectors, underscoring the decline of agricultural and manufacturing employment.
Postindustrial societies, also known as information societies, focus on generating, managing, and distributing information rather than producing material goods. With the digital revolution, information technology jobs and roles such as software programmers and business consultants have become central to the economy, reflecting a change in the dynamics of social classes, which now often depend on access to education and technical skills.