In 1967 Howard Wilson's Labour government brought in the Iron and Steel Act which renationalised industry and brought 14 big private companies together with a workforce of 250,000.
During the 1970s 50,000 jobs were shared across the industry
The global oil shock of 1974 and the increase in globalisation of trade and manufacturing dealt a major blow to British industry and Sheffield among the cities was the hardest hit.
1980 was a pivotal year for the steel industry as Margret Thatcher's Conservative government elected a 1979 set out to cut the steel industry's losses at a time of over capacity in the industry, rising energy prices and a deepening recession.
Many factory closures began in the late 1970s and accelerated through the 1980s. This led to the unemployment rate exceeding the national average for the first time in 1981 at 11.3%.
The 1980s also saw the first nation strike of steel workers in 50 years.
This highlights how influential the steel industry was on the lives of individuals in Sheffield.
The population of Sheffield declined by 5.1% between 1981 and 1991. However this rate slowed between 1991 and 2000.
"Despite continuing losses in the manufacturing sector, the overall number of jobs in the city, has been increasing since 1995 with the total rising from 213,000 to 254,000 in 2005" (NOMIS, 2007)
Sheffields image is being transformed by major investments in infrastructure particularly in the city centre combined with ongoing housing and neighbourhood renewal programmes.