October 20, 2009 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Average weekly wages: first quarter 2008-09

Business Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Looks at differences in private industry businesses' responses to COVID-19 across firm sizes.
Inflation Experiences for Lower and Higher Income Households Presents consumer price indexes for the lowest and highest household incomes to examine how different spending patterns change measures of inflation.
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Urban and Rural Spending Habits
Explores how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the spending behaviors of urban and rural consumers.
Workplace Injuries and Job Requirements for Construction Laborers
Examines typical physical requirements for construction laborers, exposures they experience on the job, and nonfatal and fatal injuries they incur.
Housing Leases in the U.S. Rental Market
Summarizes responses to two new survey questions about leasing.