Bureau of Labor Statistics

Men have higher employment–population ratios than women at every level of educational attainment, but the gap between men and women becomes smaller as educational attainment increases.

Median weekly earnings of the 121.5 million full-time wage and salary workers in the United States increased from $1,041 in the second quarter of 2022 to $1,100 in the second quarter of 2023, a gain of 5.7 percent. This compared with a gain of 4.0 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers over the same period.

Unemployment rates were lower in June 2023 than a year earlier in 222 of the 389 metropolitan areas, higher in 119 areas, and unchanged in 48 areas. The largest over-the-year unemployment rate decreases occurred in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Maryland, and California-Lexington Park, Maryland (−2.0 percentage points each).

There were 464 workplace fatalities from unintentional overdoses due to nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol in 2021. This is a 19.6-percent increase from 2020 when there were 388 fatalities and is the ninth consecutive annual increase. Unintentional overdoses from nonmedical use of drugs include overdoses from stimulants such as methamphetamine and from narcotics such as fentanyl.

U.S. import prices declined 4.4 percent from July 2022 to July 2023, after increasing 8.8 percent for the year ended in July 2022. Import prices for industrial supplies and materials had the largest decline (−16.5 percent) over the most recent 12-month period. Partially offsetting import price decreases, prices rose for foods, feeds, and beverages (2.7 percent), capital goods (0.8 percent), and automotive vehicles, parts and engines (1.3 percent).

The week of August 19 is National Aviation Week, which celebrates the history of aviation. From modest beginnings, air transportation has grown into a large industry, transporting 852 million passengers on 8.2 million scheduled flights in 2022, as well as moving over 51 billion ton-miles of cargo. In honor of National Aviation Week, let’s look at some types of jobs related to air transportation and what they pay.

Over the year ended July 2023, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 36 states and was essentially unchanged in 14 states and the District of Columbia. The largest percentage increase occurred in Nevada, where an employment gain of 56,500 took the employment level above the 1.5 million mark and was an increase of 3.8 percent. Employment increased 3.3 percent in Texas, and 3.2 percent in Florida, during this 12-month period.

In 2021, there were 133 fatal work-related injuries to agricultural workers, 15 fewer than in 2020 and the lowest number since 2013 (128). Twenty-five involved motor vehicle incidents occurring entirely off a public roadway. One of every eight of these types of motor vehicle-related fatalities in the United States was to an agricultural worker in 2021.

People born from 1957 to 1964, the latter years of the baby boom, were employed 78 percent of all the weeks from ages 18 to 56. They were unemployed for 4 percent of those weeks and not in the labor force (neither working nor seeking work) for 18 percent of those weeks.

Though schools in some areas begin the school year before the end of August, Labor Day, which is celebrated on the first Monday in September, traditionally marks the end of summer vacation for students and the 8.4 million employees in U.S. elementary and secondary schools. In the spirit of learning, here are some facts about jobs in those schools.