Working in the 21st Century Home Page

Working in the 21^st Century is a portrait of the U.S. workforce at the beginning of the New Millennium: a set of charts and related information about subjects ranging from education levels to retirement plans.

You can view a "slideshow" of the chartbook on this website: START HERE.

You can go directly to any topic or chart that appears in Working in the 21^st Century by clicking on it in the Table of Contents below; links are also provided to PDFs of the charts and to text files that contain the numbers underlying the charts. You can return to this Working in the 21^st Century home page by clicking on "Chartbook Home" on any HTML page of the chartbook.

Table of Contents

The labor force is growing more slowly:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
The labor force is getting older:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
More women are working today than in the past:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
Minorities are the fastest growing part of the labor force:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
Immigrants are found at the high and low ends of the education scale:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
Education pays:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
Some jobs with above-average earnings do not require a bachelor's degree, but most require substantial training:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
Workers with computer skills are in demand:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
The ten occupations that will generate the most jobs range widely in their skill requirements:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
Benefits account for more than one-quarter of total compensation:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
Retirement plans are changing:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
Workers will be supporting more Social Security recipients:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
The trend in years spent with an employer is down for men and up for women:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
The temporary help industry has grown rapidly:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
The most common alternative employment arrangement is independent contractor:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
Most mothers work:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
Married couples are working longer:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)
The workplace is becoming safer:
(topic page) (chart page) (PDF) (numbers)

Message from the Secretary of Labor

Sources

For More Information

How to View PDF Files

Single copies of the print version of Working in the 21^st Century are available. To obtain a copy, send e-mail to blsdata_staff@bls.gov with your mailing address included in your request; mail a request to the Office of Publications and Special Studies, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, D.C., 20212; or call 202-691-5200.