Question

Tran is writing a series of articles about skilled trades in the Minneapolis area. He has collected data about the need for plumbers, carpenters, electricians, painters, and tile layers. He wants to provide a graphic that tells his audience what the need for skilled workers is today and what it is anticipated to be in ten years.

Which visual will be the best choice for providing this information?

Answer 1

A line graph would be the best choice for displaying the need for skilled trades in the Minneapolis area over time. A line graph can effectively show changes in a variable over time, and can easily display multiple lines to compare the needs for different trades.

To create the line graph, Tran could use the y-axis to represent the number of job openings or the demand for skilled workers, and the x-axis to represent time, with the current year on the left and the year ten years from now on the right. Each trade could be represented by a different line on the graph, with the current need and the anticipated need plotted for each trade.

This would allow Tran's audience to easily visualize how the need for each skilled trade is changing over time, and how the needs of different trades compare to each other. Additionally, Tran could use colors and labels to make the graph more visually appealing and easier to understand.