In a time of changing technology and cultural shifts, it is difficult to measure some aspects of the workforce. Education and the American Workforce brings together a comprehensive collection of employment and education information from federal statistical agencies. This publication is a compilation of data about employment and education from federal statistical agencies. The Census Bureau is the leading source of quality data about the nation’s people and economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the principal federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy. Together, these agencies produce a wealth of information about the American workforce.
Education and the American Workforce includes information about the jobs that people hold—the occupations that they pursue and the industries where they work—and the education levels that people have attained. The geographic location of jobs is important. People often move to locations where jobs are plentiful, moving away from areas where jobs have decreased as technology and trends have changed. The education level of a local population can have an impact on the type of jobs available, with employers establishing businesses where they expect to find employees with appropriate educational credentials.
This book uses the American Community Survey (ACS) to provide data on jobs and education in states, metropolitan areas, counties, cities, and congressional districts. The local area detail is necessarily less specific than the national data but the occupation categories use the same SOC categorization, grouped to protect the respondents’ privacy. These sections include ACS data about the labor force, educational attainment, and field of degree, often by age, gender, race, and Hispanic origin. Also included are some personal and household characteristics that are relevant to employment and education, such as health insurance and computer access.
Some examples of interesting data found inside Education and the American Workforce include: