The cumulative yields (i.e. the sum of isobaric independent yield up to the isobar of interest) for various fission products have been determined in the 8 MeV bremsstrahlung induced fission of 232Th and 238U by using off-line gamma ray spectrometric technique. From the cumulative yields of the fission products, their mass-chain yields (i.e. the sum of independent yields of all the isobars) were obtained by using charge distribution correction. The mass-chain yields in the 232Th(γ, f) and 238U(γ, f) reactions were compared with the data of similar excitation energy in the 232Th(n, f) and 238U(n, f) reactions to examine the effect of nuclear structure. From these data, it was found that the yields of fission products for the mass numbers 133–134, 138–140 and 143–144 as well as their corresponding complementary products are significantly higher than other fission products. Higher yields of the fission products around the mass numbers 133–134 and 143–144 were explained from the standard I and standard II asymmetric mode of fission, which indicates the role of shell closure proximity. However, the amplitude of yields for the mass numbers 133–134 and 143–144 are reverse in the 232Th(γ, f) and 232Th(n, f) reactions than in the 238U(γ, f) and 238U(n, f) reactions, which has been explained from the point of shell combinations of the complementary fragments.