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Our Changing Economy:
A BLS Centennial Chartbook
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
1984
Bulletin 2211

U.S. Department of Labor
Raymond J. Donovan, Secretary
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Janet L. Norwood, Commissioner
August 1984
Bulletin 2211

Our Changing Economy:
A BLS Centennial Chartbook
century ago, in 1884, Con­
gress established a Bureau of
Labor— later named the
Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau
was to be a permanent and indepen­
dent agency to “ collect information’’
on the earnings and working condi­
tions of “ laboring men and women.’’
Founded almost 20 years before the
Bureau of the Census was established,
BLS was thus a forerunner of a
Federal statistical establishment that
now includes a number of agencies in
departments and commissions
throughout government.
The Bureau’s present program
arose from clearly recognizable social
needs. For example, during World War I,

A

the need to adjust wages in shipyards
to rapidly rising prices led to the
development of a cost-of-living
measure that later became the Con­
sumer Price Index. Other BLS pro­
grams developed in similar fashion to
answer the needs of business, labor,
Congress, and the public for informa­
tion on economic and social trends.
Today, the Bureau publishes a wide
array of detailed data on the labor
force, employment and unemployment,
earnings and hours of work, prices
and living conditions, industrial rela­
tions, productivity and economic
growth, occupational injuries and ill­
nesses, and related subjects.
This chartbook celebrates 100 years
of BLS statistics. Some charts reveal
the long continuity of the Bureau’s
series; others show the agency’s
response to recent demands for data
on new or emerging economic
phenomena. The booklet gives a
graphic picture of some of the
changes in the American economy
during the past century. The Bureau’s
regular publications, listed in the back
of the book, contain more comprehen­
sive and detailed information on
changing economic trends.
The chartbook was prepared in the
Office of Publications by Constance
Bogh DiCesare, Chief of the Division
of Special Publications, with the
cooperation of the various program of­
fices of the Bureau. Eugene H. Becker
was the editor. Material in this publica­
tion is in the public domain and may,
with appropriate credit, be reproduced
without permission.

3
Contents
Charts
Preface
Employment and unemployment statistics

Pages
1

1 to 11

4

Productivity and technology

12 to 15

16

Wages and industrial relations

16 to 25

22

Prices and living conditions

26 to 37

34

Occupational safety and health

38 to 39

46

Economic growth and employment projections

40 to 43

48

—

52

A note on sources

Employment and Unemployment Statistics

4

The labor force grew rapidly in the past century
hen the Bureau of Labor
Statistics was created in
1884, the American labor
force numbered 16 million persons. A
century later, the Nation’s work force
had grown to over 110 million. Labor
force growth came from different
sources over the period. In the early
decades, European immigrants swell­
ed the work force. From 1910 to 1940,
internal population growth accounted
for most of the increase. Since 1950,
the increasing proportion of women
taking jobs outside the home has been
an important contributor to labor force
growth.

W

5

The labor force
consists of
employed and
unemployed men
and women

Millions of persons
1 20

—

1880

1900

1920

1940

1960

19801983

Chart 1. Civilian labor force by sex, selected years, 1880-1983

Women’s labor
force
participation
increased
dramatically after
1950. By 1983,
more than half of
all women were
in the labor force

Chart 2. Labor force participation rates by sex, selected years,
1890-1983

Employment and Unemployment Statistics

6

The rising proportion of women in the labor force has
many implications
he proportion of women
who are in the labor force
has grown from one-third in
1950 to more than half today. Since
1970, nearly half of the increase has
been among women age 25 to 34. In
1983, 1 out of 4 women workers was
in this age group. In contrast, of the
32 million women who were full-time
homemakers, 6 out of 10 were 45
years or older. Consistent with these
developments has been a rise in the
proportion of children with a mother in
the labor force— to almost 60 percent
of school-age children and 48 percent
of preschoolers. Although participation
rates for men continue to exceed
those for women, the gap has nar­
rowed considerably. Men were 2 - V 2
times as likely as women to be in the
labor force in 1950 but are only 1-1/2
times as likely today.

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7

Fewer women are
full-time
housekeepers

Chart 3. Labor force status of women, 1962 and 1983

Women can
expect to spend
more years in the
labor market

Chart 4. Life expectancy and worklife expectancy of women,
selected years, 1950-80

Employment and Unemployment Statistics

8

Family patterns have continued to change
he composition and nature
of American families
changed very gradually
from 1880 to the beginning of World
War II. During the war, an un­
precedented number of women took
jobs outside the home, thus altering
the traditional pattern of family life. A
decline in fertility dating from the mid
1960’s (along with changing attitudes
about the role of women) further in­
creased women's interest in working.
The price inflation of recent years,
coupled with rising expectations in liv­
ing standards, also has enforced the
trend toward two-earner, marriedcouple families, and there also has
been an increase in the number of
families maintained by women.

T

9

Nearly two-thirds
of all marriedcouple families
have 2 or more
workers

Chart 5. Married-couple families by number of workers, 1955
and 1983

The proportion of
families
maintained by
women has
increased

Chart 6. Families maintained by women as a percent of all
families, 1960-83

Employment and Unemployment Statistics

10

Since 1900, employment growth has been shifting from
industries that provide goods to those that furnish
services
ost of the employment growth
in the past three decades has
been in industries which pro­
duce services rather than goods.
Among the industries creating the
greatest number of jobs since 1950
have been State and local govern­
ment, trade, and services such as
health care. In 1983, of the 90 million
employees in nonfarm jobs, 67 million,
or more than 7 out of 10, worked in
service-producing industries.

M

11

The shift from
goods to services
was especially
marked after 1950

Proportion of jobs

Chart 7. Nonagricultural employment by major economic
sector, 1900, 1950, and 1983

Growth in service
industries has
spurred the
expansion in
clerical and
professional jobs

Clerical workers

^

_____________

1982

Professionals
Service workers
Operatives
Craft workers
Managers
Sales workers
Non-farm laborers
Farm workers
0

5

10
15
Millions of persons

Chart 8. Employed workers by major occupations,
1950 and 1982

20

Employment and Unemployment Statistics

12

Sharp increases in unemployment have been a recurring
problem

ince the end of World War II,
there have been eight reces­
sions. During each downturn,
the rate of unemployment rose shar
and then usually declined markedly in
the recovery phase of the business cy­
cle. Improvements, however, generally
failed to bring the unemployment rate
completely back to prerecession
levels. Thus, unemployment has had a
long-term upward trend since 1970. In
1982, the unemployment rate rose to
a record 10.7 percent; by June 1984, it
had dropped to 7.1 percent.

S

13

The
unemployment
rate is primarily
an indication of
the amount of
unused labor in
the economy
currently available

Note: Shaded areas
represent recessions.
Chart 9. Civilian unemployment rates, seasonally adjusted, 1948-83

Employment and Unemployment Statistics

14

Some groups suffer more unemployment than others
he Nation’s average unemploy­
ment rate is a good indicator
of the overall health of the
economy, but it tells only part of the
story. Some groups suffer much more
unemployment than others, whether
the economy is prosperous or
distressed.
Unemployment generally is more
than twice as high among blacks as it
is among whites, and is especially high
among teenage blacks. Young people
of all races suffer much more
unemployment than adults over 35.
Unemployment also varies among
regions. It tends to be higher in the

T

heavily industrialized States east of the

Mississippi than in the rest of the
country. It varies, too, by industry.
Workers in goods-producing industries,
such as steel and autos, and in con­
struction, experience greater
unemployment than do workers in
service industries such as banking.

15

Minorities and
youth are
vulnerable

Unemployment rate
25 -

Black

White Hispanic

16-19 20-24 25-54 55 +

Chart 10. Unemployment rates by race, Hispanic origin,
and age, 1983

School dropouts
are at risk

Unemployment rate
30 —
2520-

1510 —

5 0

—

Graduates (with
4 years high
school or some
college)

Students
(enrolled in
school)

Dropouts (less
than 4 years
high school)

Chart 11. Unemployment rates of youth 16-24 years of age by
school enrollment and years of school completed, October 1983

Productivity and Technology

16

Today’s workers produce five times as much in an hour
as workers did early in the century
n the 100 years since the BLS was
founded, American workers have
steadily increased the quantity of
goods and services they produce in an
hour. Advances in technology, greater
capital investment, and the increasing
skill and education of workers all have
contributed to this rise in productivity.
Since the early 1900’s, worker pro­
ductivity has risen an average of 2.5
percent a year, but movements over
shorter spans have deviated from this
trend. Between 1947 and 1973, pro­
ductivity advanced 3 percent a year.
In the past decade, however, the rate
slowed to just above 1 percent.

I

17

Productivity has
grown strongly
over the past 71/2
decades

Index, 1909 = 100
500-

Ratio scale

Chart 12. Output per hour, private sector economy, 1909-83

Productivity and Technology

18

New ways to measure productivity have increased our
understanding of changes in worker output
arly in the century, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics began
measuring what a worker pro­
duces in an hour on the job. This way
of measuring productivity rests on the
relationship of output to a single in­
put— worker hours. Last year, the
Bureau began publishing a new pro­
ductivity measure that relates what
workers produce to the combined in­
put of their labor and of capital
investment.
This measure, a multifactor produc­
tivity yardstick, sheds additional light
on the rise in American worker output
since World War II. Between 1948 and
1982, multifactor productivity in private
business grew about 1.4 percent a
year. The first 25 years of that period
saw rapid improvement (2-percent) an­
nual growth) followed by deceleration
(no growth from 1973 on).

E

19

Multifactor
productivity
indexes take
account of capital
as well as labor
inputs

Chart 13. Output per hour of all persons, output per unit of
capital, and multifactor productivity, private business sector,
1948-82

20

Productivity and Technology

Productivity is an important determinant of prices and
costs
rices, costs, and productivity
relate to one another in com­
plex ways. Since I960, price
and cost trends have moved in an op­
posite direction from productivity
changes. Hourly compensation rose
more after the mid-1960’s than before,
while the rate of productivity improve­
ment slowed. As a result, unit labor
costs accelerated. This inverse rela­
tionship continued in 1983, a year
when productivity improvements were
accompanied by a slowing of unit
labor cost increases.
A generally opposite relationship
also exists between price changes and
productivity changes in industries. For
example, between 1960 and 1981,
prices declined or rose slowly for
hosiery, telephone communication,
and radio and TV sets, while produc­
tivity rose in these industries at aboveaverage rates. In contrast, prices
climbed strongly for footwear, steel,
and wood office furniture— industries
where productivity change over the
period was comparatively low.

P

21

Unit labor costs
tend to rise when
productivity
growth slows

Output per hour - all persons

1950

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

Chart 14. Output per hour of all persons, unit labor costs, and
compensation in the business sector, 1948-83

Prices generally
rise more rapidly
when productivity
increases
slowly

Average annual percent change
-2 -1 0 1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8
Synthetic fibers
Telephone communications
Radio and TV sets
Drug and proprietary
stores
Motor vehicles and equip.
Hotels, motels
Steel
Retail food stores
Metal-forming
machines
- Prices
= Output per hour
Chart 15. Output per employee hour and prices, average annual
percent change selected industries, 1960-81

22

Wages and Industrial Relations

Collective bargaining contributes to changing
pay patterns

ince the early 1900’s, member­
ship in a union (or coverage
under a collective bargaining
agreement) generally has resulted in
pay levels that are higher than those
of nonunion workers. Differences in
the rates of increase in pay of union
and nonunion workers, as measured
by the Bureau’s Employment Cost In­
dex, were especially large in 1980, a
year of double-digit inflation. The high
inflation rate triggered large cost-ofliving increases for workers covered
by union contracts. More recently, in­
creases in prices and rates of pay
have slowed for all workers.
Historically, wage differences be­
tween skilled and unskilled craftworkers have been substantial, but
over the past several decades they
have narrowed considerably. For ex­
ample, in the building construction
trades, journeymen’s wages were
about double those of unskilled
workers at the turn of the century; by
the early 1960’s, the difference had
narrowed to about a third and has
stabilized at about that level.

S

23

Wage increases
generally have
been greater for
unionized workers

Chart 16. Percent changes in wages and salaries by
union status, Employment Cost Index, 1976-83

The gap in wages
between skilled
and unskilled
union workers
has grown
smaller

Chart 17. Average union wage rates for journeymen as a
percent of rates for helpers and laborers, building
construction, 1907-80

Wages and Industrial Relations

24

Many factors influence a worker’s pay
Geographic
location of the
job can be a
prime factor in
what a worker
earns. Larger
metropolitan
areas and those
in the Midwest
and West
generally offer
higher pay.

Relative
wage
level
140 120

-

100

-

Office clerical workers

80 60 40 20

-

0

-

Davenport, Iowa

Norfolk, Virginia

100 = All metropolitan area average
Chart 18. Geographic location as a wage level determinant, 1982

Women workers
generally earn
less than the
average for their
industry. This is
true in highpaying industries
as well as those
with lower wage
scales.

Percent of production workers
earning less than average
100

-

90 80 70 -

Women

Shirt manufacturing,
1981

Prepared meat
products, 1979

Chart 19. Sex as a wage level determinant, 1979 and 1981

25

The industrial
location of a job
can have more
influence on pay
than the work
itself

Hourly
rate
$15 —
12-

j

Mechanic
Janitor

9 -

-y

Mechanic

J- Janitor

6-

3-

Petroleum
refining
1981

Corrugated and
solid fiber boxes
1981

Chart 20. Industry as a wage level determinant, 1981

Skill and
experience are
important
determinants of
wages. Workers
at the same skill
level in different
jobs often earn
comparable pay.

Monthly
rate
$ 4000-

Chart 21. Skill as a wage level determinant, 1983

Wages and Industrial Relations

26

Changes in purchasing power reflect the greater
volatility of price rather than wages
orkers have received pay
increases in all but a hand­
ful of years during the past
century. However, because increases
in purchasing power depend not only
on changes in workers’ pay but also
on the prices of goods and services
they consume, purchasing power has
not necessarily grown with each pay
increase. Since the mid-1970’s, wage
gains have fallen behind price in­
creases, resulting in a decline in a
worker’s purchasing power, as
measured by the Employment Cost In­
dex adjusted for changes in the Con­
sumer Price Index. The bulk of the
decline, however, occurred between
1978 and 1981. Workers began to
recover lost purchasing power late in
1981 as wage gains slowed but as
price increases declined even faster.

W

27

Workers’
purchasing power
increased in
1976-77 and again
in 1982-83

Note: Shaded area
represents change
in purchasing
power.

Percent change
1b
14—

_____ Consumer Price .
Index (CPI)

1976 1977

1978

1979

Employment Cost Index:
------ Current dollars

1980

1981

1982

1983

Chart 22. Percent change in the Employment Cost Index for
wages and salaries of private industry workers and in the
Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical
workers, 1976-83

Wages and Industrial Relations

28

Workers’ pay and benefits frequently include some pro­
tection against catastrophic medical expenses
mployee benefits, such as
paid leave, health, insurance,
and retirement programs, have
been increasing their share of com­
pensation in the post-World War II era.
Currently, they make up at least 25 per­
cent of the wage and benefit package.
Of these benefits, major medical in­
surance plans have registered among
the largest gains. Such plans, geared
toward catastrophic illness or injury,
now cover 175 million people, up from
100,000 some 30 years earlier.

E

29

Major medical
plans are a
popular
supplement to
workers’ pay

Millions
of persons
covered
175150125 100 75 50250 -------1951

1960

1970

1982

Chart 23. Workers and dependents covered by major medical
plans, selected years, 1951-82

Wages and Industrial Relations

30

Wages of many union workers are changed each year
under cost-of-living adjustments

A

s 1984 began, the wages of
almost three-fifths of the near­
ly 8 million workers covered
under major collective bargaining
agreements were subject to automatic
cost-of-living adjustments (COLA’s). A
decade earlier, less than a third were
covered by COLA clauses.
Historically, COLA’s have helped to
recover some of the purchasing power
that has been lost as a result of price
increases. Typically, one-half to twothirds of the rise is recovered when a
COLA is triggered. (However, some
COLA clauses decrease wages when
prices fall.) The size of the adjustment
depends on several factors, including
the formula used to calculate the
COLA— this may include a “ cap” on
the size of the COLA— and the timing
of the COLA review process. COLA’s
generally go into effect after the CPI
has changed by an amount specified
in the collective bargaining agreement.

The percentage
of union workers
covered by
COLA’s has been
fairly constant
since 1976

Chart 24. Percent of workers covered by COLA clauses in
collective bargaining agreements covering 1,000 workers or
more, 1971-84

Wages and Industrial Relations

32

Although union membership has continued to grow, it
has not kept pace with the increase in the labor force
assage in 1935 of the
National Labor Relations Act
(NLRA)— which guaranteed the
right of workers to organize and
bargain collectively— marked the
beginning of the rapid growth of
unions in the United States. By the
end of World War II, U.S. union
membership had quadrupled to almost
15 million. Over the following decades,
membership grew at a much slower
pace— to about 20 million in 1980.
Despite this expansion in numbers,
union membership has failed to keep
up with the growth of the labor force.
Union representation in the labor force
in 1980, at about 18 percent, was at
its lowest level since 1942.
Union membership alone is no
longer an accurate measure of the
number of workers represented by
labor organizations. Since the early
1960’s, professional and government
employee associations increasingly
have shifted to bargaining activities.
Together, unions and employee
associations counted 22.4 million U.S.
workers as members, about one-fifth
of the labor force.

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33

Federal law
provided the
impetus for union
growth in the
1930’s

Note: Starting in 1968,
includes members of
employee associations.

Members (in millions)
25-

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980
Chart 25. Union membership in the U.S., 1900-1980

Prices and Living Conditions

34

The trend of consumer prices has changed over the
century
onsumer prices were fairly
stable from 1880 until the eve
of World War I. After the warinduced inflation, prices fell and declin­
ed further during the depression of the
1930’s. But since the start of World
War II, prices have risen almost con­
tinuously, though the annual increases
were small during the 1953-55 period
and the early 1960’s.

C

35

Consumer prices
have risen almost
continuously
since 1940 in
contrast to the
ups and downs of
earlier years

Index, 1967 = 100
4035-

1915

Note: Data
before 1973 are
estimated from
several sources

Ratio scale

IM

1950

1920

I I

Ii

1955

1925

M I

II

1960

1930

l I I

II

1965

1935

I I I

II

1940

I II

1970

Chart 26: Consumer Price Index, 1880-1983

Il

1975

1945

I I I

II

1980

1950

I I l

I

1985

36

Prices and Living Conditions

The pace of inflation has varied from year to year
ince 1960, there have been
three big spurts in consumer
prices— one during the Viet­
nam conflict, one following the oil
bargo of 1973, and the third during the
Iranian crisis. Inflation reached a peak
of more than 14 percent in mid-1980.
Such inflationary surges generally
reflect a sudden increase in the de­
mand for goods and services, a sharp
drop in supply, a failure of supply to

S

keep up with the economy’s growth,
or a combination of these changes. In­
ternational events have clearly con­
em­
tributed to supply shortages (the
worldwide food crisis of 1973-74 and
the oil cutbacks) and to increases in
demand (the Vietnam war and other
defense expenditures). But domestic
factors— such as government fiscal
and monetary policies and the rate of
wage increases— are of fundamental
importance.
One measure of inflation is the Con­
sumer Price Index, produced by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is a
monthly measure of what consumers
pay for a fixed market basket of goods
and services that is representative of
almost everything consumers buy.
Three components of that index have
been especially sensitive to changes
in economic conditions— energy, food,
and shelter costs.
The slowdown in the rate of inflation
since 1981 has reflected the sharp
slump in the demand for energy and
the slow decline in the increase of
food prices during a worldwide
economic recession.

37

International
Percent
events have had a 1 5 strong influence
on the CPI

Iranian
crisis

12-

9-

Oil embargo

6—
Vietnam War
3 -

0 —i
i

1960

i

i

i

I

i

1965

i

i

i

I

1970

i

i

i
1975

Chart 27. Annual rate of change in CPI, 1960-83

i

1980

Prices and Living Conditions

38

Variations in the prices of some 300 items are reflected
in the CPI
rice changes for individual
items and groups of items may
vary substantially from the
average. Medical care prices, for ex­
ample, have risen over twice as much
as clothing prices since 1967.
Changes in medical care prices or
apparel prices have much less effect
on the CPI than a change of the same
magnitude in housing prices because
housing is a much more important
item in the household budget. During
both the 1973-74 and 1978-81 periods
of double-digit inflation, food, energy,
and shelter prices accounted for twothirds of the increase in the CPI. It
was the increase in food prices that
had the greatest effect on the index in
earlier years and the rise in shelter
prices that had the greatest effect in
1978-81.
Similarly, the slowdown in the rise
of energy, food, and shelter prices ac­
counted for most of the slowdown in
the CPI that began in 1981. Prices of
other items also rose less.

P

39

Medical care,
housing, and
transport prices
have risen faster
than other prices

Chart 29. Percent increases for major expenditure groups from
1967 through 1983

Housing is the
biggest
expenditure in
the CPI market
basket

Chart 30. Relative importance of major expenditure groups,
December 1983

Prices and Living Conditions

40

Consumers have been changing their food buying habits
merican families have been
spending a smaller share of
their budgets on food than
they did in the past. A century ago,
nearly half of the average spending
dollar went for food; in recent years,
less than a fourth, leaving a larger
share for shelter, recreation, and other
items. But families in the lower income
bracket (the bottom 20 percent) still
spend more than 40 percent of their
income on food. Meals away from
home (restaurants) now account for
almost a third of the total food budget
of all families.
Data on consumer spending are
now being obtained by BLS in a pro­
gram of continuing surveys launched
during 1980-81.

A

41

Consumers have
been spending
less of their
1888
income on food,
but spending
more of their food 1950
budget in
restaurants
1980-81
(estimated)

I
50

Percent
Chart 31. Food spending as a percent of family income,
selected years
Income group
Lower 20%

Middle 20%

Upper 20%
Percent

0

10

20

30

40

Chart 32. Food expenditures by income group, 1981

Chart 33. Food away from home as percent of all food
expenditures, selected periods

50

Prices and Living Conditions

42

The producer price index is used as a principal indicator
of economic trends
he Bureau’s Producer Price
Indexes are important
measures of inflation. The
stage of processing indexes, particular­
ly the Finished Goods Price Index,
facilitate the analysis of inflationary
movements throughout the economy.
They also permit the tracing of the ef­
fects of government price stabilization
efforts and wage and price policies
directed at specific industries. Private
business firms use PPI data in
forecasting, in market analysis, and in
comparing their costs with the prices
they receive for their products with na­
tional averages. But one of the more
important uses of PPI data by
businesses is as an escalator in long­
term sales and purchase contracts.

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43

Raw material
prices are more
volatile and
generally rise
faster than prices
for intermediate
or finished goods

Chart 34. Produce price indexes by stage of processing, 1967-83

Changes in
producer prices
for finished
goods are a
barometer of
inflation in the
overall economy

Percent change
CPI commodities

2—

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983 1984

Chart 35. Retail and producer price changes for consumer
goods, 1968-83

Prices and Living Conditions

44

Import and export price indexes are used to analyze
American price competitiveness
ver the past two decades, the Comprehensive indexes now are being
United States has greatly in­
issued by the BLS and provide better
creased its sales to foreign
information on price trends of exports
countries and its purchases fromand imports. They also are important
them. Exports of merchandise rose
tools in the escalation of contracts
from 8 to 15 percent of the Nation’s
where imported or exported products
output of goods. The rise in imports
represent a substantial share of total
was even greater— from 6 to 19
cost, and in other economic studies.
percent.
The relationship between prices and
the exchange rate value of the dollar
The rapid growth of foreign trade
is illustrated by data on the machinery
has made it increasingly necessary to
and equipment industry, which ac­
measure changes in prices of im­
counts for more than a third of U.S.
ported and exported merchandise,
merchandise exports. The increasing
because these prices (along with
value of the dollar since 1980 has
changes in the value of the dollar in
meant that it buys more in the world
terms of foreign currencies) greatly in­
market than it did earlier. At the same
fluence the flow of trade, and also
time, the decline in the value of
have an effect on price levels in the
foreign currencies has made it more
U.S. economy. But until the 1980’s,
costly for other countries to buy from
the United States did not have com­
the United States. This trend has tend­
prehensive indexes covering all im­
ed to discourage foreign buyers of
ports and exports of merchandise.
U.S. goods and exerted pressure on
U.S. exporters to hold prices steady; it
also has increased the attractiveness
to foreigners of selling in the U.S.
market and put downward pressure on
U.S. import prices. During the 1970’s,
however, when the value of the dollar
generally was declining in terms of
foreign currencies, there was a grow­
ing incentive for foreigners to buy U.S.
products, and a declining incentive for
them to sell products in the U.S.
market.

O

45

The importance
of foreign trade
has doubled
since 1960

Chart 36. Exports and imports as a percent of Gross National
Product, 1960 and 1983

The increasing
value of the U.S.
dollar drives up
prices of U.S. ex
ports in foreign
currencies

Chart 37. Price indexes of exports of machinery and
transportation equipment in U.S. dollars and in foreign
currencies, 1979-83

Occupational Safety and Health

46

Occupational injury and illness rates have fallen over the
past decade, especially in the goods-producing sector
ince 1972, when the Bureau
The total injury and illness rate in
began a new statistical series
the goods-producing sector has been
on occupational injuries and
about double the rate in the serviceillnesses for private industry, the total
producing sector. Traditionally, factory
injury and illness incidence rate declin­
work and construction jobs have con­
ed despite a sizeable increase in
tributed the lion’s share to these high
employment. On average, 1 in 13
rates. Nevertheless, since 1979, there
workers was injured or became ill in
has even been a drop in the rates in
the construction and manufacturing in­
1982 compared with 1 in 10 in 1972.
However, there has been virtually no
dustries.
Except for transportation and public
change in the rate of occurrence of
lost workday cases.
utilities, where rates are comparable
to the goods-producing industries, in­
cidence rates in the service-producing
industries have remained almost
stable. In fact, because many in­
dustries in this sector have a low risk
of injury or illness, they are exempt
from the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration’s general record­
keeping requirements.
But despite the overall decline,
there were still almost 5 million jobrelated injuries and recognized ill­
nesses in 1982.

S

47

The incidence of Rates per 100 full-time workers
lost workday
12—
H
cases has
remained virtually
10unchanged over
the decade
8-

Total cases
Lost workday cases
Cases without
lost workdays

6—
4—
2

—

0—

1972

1982

Chart 38. Occupational injury and illness incidence rates in
the private sector, 1972 and 1982

Workers in
goods-producing
industries face a
greater chance of
injury or illness
on the job than
service-producing
workers

Chart 39. Occupational injury and illness rates by major
industry sector, 1972-82

Economic Growth and Employment Projections

48

The next decade will bring a slowdown in labor force
growth and an increase in jobs in the services industries
abor force growth is expected
to slow through 1995 in con­
trast to the increases regis­
tered from 1970 to 1982. Fewer per­
sons reached working age in recent
years because the high birth rates of
the 1950’s and early 1960’s have not
been sustained. In addition, fewer
teenagers are entering the labor force
than in previous years, a trend likely to
continue. While women’s labor force
participation is the highest it has ever
been, the rate of increase has begun
to slow, especially among those who
are 20 to 44 years old.
The continuing shift from goodsproducing to service-producing jobs,
begun several decades ago, will grow
even more pronounced over the next
10 years. Manufacturing still will,
however, be an important source of
new jobs in the years ahead.

L

49

During the late
1980’s and early
1990’s, labor
force growth will
be largely among
25-to-54-year olds
with declines
falling heaviest
on older and
younger men

Chart 40. Annual rate of labor force change, 1950-82 and
projected 1982-95

Industries
providing services
employ more
people than those
providing goods
and will continue
to do so in future
years

Chart 41. Employment by major economic sector, 1955-82 and
projected 1982-95

Economic Growth and Employment Projections

50

Projected growth of major occupations will follow past
patterns

rofessional and technical jobs
will continue their rapid ex­
pansion and will account for
the largest numerical increase in job
among the major occupational groups.
Clerical jobs also will have a large
numerical increase over this period.
Although growth rates for these
workers are expected to be only
average, clerical jobs will continue to
employ more workers than any other
major group. Farm workers are ex­
pected to continue their long term
decline.
Technological change will continue
to have a significant affect on occupa­
tional growth. The continuing develop­
ment of computer technology and the
increasing use of computers in a wide
variety of functions, for example, will
have a significant effect on growth
among detailed occupations. Five of
the ten occupations expected to have
the fastest growth from 1982 to
1995 are directly associated with the
computer.

P

51

Half of the 10
fastest growing
occupations will
be in computer
fields

Computer Service
Technicians
Legal Assistants
Computer Operators
Office Machine Repairers
Physical Therapy Assistants
Civil Engineering Technicians
Peripheral EDP Equipment
Operators
Electrical and Electronic
Technicians
Mechanical Engineering
Technicians
Registered Nurses
Percent change

I I II

0

20

I I I I I I I I I

40

60

80 100 120

Chart 42. Occupations projected to have the fastest growth,
1982-95

Between 1982
and 1995,
professional/
technical, clerical
and sales
occupations will
experience the
largest growth

Clerical
Professional and Technical
Service
Operatives
Craft
Managers and Administrators
Sales
Nonfarm Laborers
Farm Workers

Millions

I
0

1982
Projected 1995
lI
lI
Il
Il
5 10 15 20

Chart 43. Employment by major occupation group, 1982
and projected 1995

Il
25

52
I

A note on sources
Current data from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, represented by the
charts in this bulletin, are available
from a variety of sources. These in­
clude the Bureau’s news releases,
periodicals, bulletins and reports, and
its file of unpublished data contained
in the Bureau’s computer data banks.
To assist the reader in locating more
information on BLS programs, in­
cluding analytical articles, technical
program descriptions, and detailed
statistical compilations, the references
found here have been organized by
source.

NEWS RELEASES
Employee Benefits (annual)
Employment Cost Index (quarterly)
Major Collective Bargaining
Settlements (quarterly)
Multifactor Productivity Indexes
(annual)
Occupational Safety and Health
Statistics (annual)
Producer Price Indexes (monthly)
Productivity and Costs: Nonfarm
Business, and Manufacturing
Sectors (quarterly)
Productivity and Costs: Nonfinancial
Corporate Sector (quarterly)
Real Earnings (monthly)
State and Metropolitan Area
Unemployment (monthly)
The Consumer Price Index (monthly)
The Employment Situation (monthly)
U.S. Export and Import Price Indexes
(quarterly)

53

PERIODICALS
R e p o r t . Provides current
data on consumer price movements
and rates of change as well as
technical notes and charts, (monthly)

C P I D e ta ile d

W a g e D e v e l o p m e n t s . Presents
current information and analytical ar­
ticles on employee compensation, col­
lective bargaining activities, and
statistical summaries of wage and
benefit changes and work stoppages,
(monthly)
C u rre n t

E m p l o y m e n t a n d E a r n i n g s . In addition
to articles describing the most recent
statistical procedures in the employ­
ment and unemployment statistics pro­
grams, contains current detailed data
on the labor force, earnings, employ­
ment, unemployment, and various
worker characteristics, (monthly)
E m p l o y m e n t in

P e r s p e c tiv e : M in o r it y

Provides latest quarterly data
on the employment situation of
workers who are black, of Hispanic
origin, and white. Data are disag­
gregated by sex. (quarterly)
W o rk e rs :

E m p lo y m e n t in

P e r s p e c t iv e :

W o rk in g

Provides latest data on the
employment characteristics of working
women, including their labor force par­
ticipation rates, employment status,
unemployment rates, and family
status. Most data are disaggregated
by age. (quarterly)
W om en:

L a b o r R e v i e w . Contains the
results of BLS research, analytical ar­
ticles, regular monthly departments,
and current statistics on employment
and unemployment, prices, wages,
and productivity, (monthly)
M o n th ly

O c c u p a t i o n a l O u t l o o k Q u a r t e r l y . Pro­
vides information on new occupations,
training opportunities, salary trends,
and career counseling programs.
P r o d u c e r P r i c e s a n d P r i c e I n d e x e s . In­
cludes price movements on both farm
and industrial goods, by industry and
stage of processing as well as
technical notes, (monthly)
U .S .

D e p a r tm e n t o f S ta te

L iv in g

C o s ts A b ro a d ,

A llo w a n c e s ,

a n d

In d e x e s

o f

Q u a rte rs

E ia r d s h ip

D if f e r e n ­

Contains data for foreign cities
computed by the Department of State
to establish allowances to compensate
American civilian government
employees for costs and hardships
related to organizations to assist in
establishing compensation systems.
tia ls :

54

BULLETINS AND REPORTS
A

B LS

R e ad e r on

P r o d u c tiv ity ,

Bulletin

2171, June 1983
A

C e n tu ry

o f C hange

in

B o s to n

F a m ily

(New England
Regional Office) Regional Report 79-5,
1979

C o n s u m p tio n

P a tte rn s

o f W o r k S t o p p a g e s (Annual
Bulletins; publication discontinued with
the release of 1980 data.)

A n a ly s is

B a r g a in in g
B LS
U sed

C a le n d a r

E c o n o n ic

G ro w th

F o r P r o je c t io n s

2112, 1982

(annual bulletin.)
M o d e l S y s te m
to

1990,

B LS

F ia n d b o o k

o f M e th o d s ,

Vol. I,

Bulletin 2134-1, Dec. 1982
Labor Force
Chapters 1-3
Prices and Living Conditions
Chapters 6-8
Wages and Industrial Relations
Chapters 9-12
Productivity and Technology
Chapters 13-16
Occupational Safety and Health
Chapter 17
F i a n d b o o k o f M e t h o d s , Vol. II,
Bulletin 2134-2, April 1984, The Con­
sumer Price Index

B LS

Bulletin
B LS

M a c h in e - r e a d a b le

T a b u la tin g
B LS

R o u tin e s ,

P u b lic a tio n s

T e c h n o lo g y ,
D ir e c to r y
E m p lo y e e

on

D a ta

a nd

Report 620, 1981
P r o d u c tiv ity

a nd

Report 671, Oct. 1982

o f N a t io n a l U n io n s
A s s o c ia tio n s ,

a nd

Bulletin 2079,

Sept. 1980
E m p lo y m e n t P r o je c t io n s

fo r

1995,

Bulletin 2197, 1984
E s c a la tio n

a n d

In d e x e s : A

G u id e

P a r tie s ,

P r o d u c e r P r ic e
f o r C o n tr a c tin g

Report 570, 1979

F ia n d b o o k o f L a b o r S ta t is t ic s ,

Bulletin

2175, Dec. 1983
W a g e S u r v e y s : (Various in­
dustries and dates; BLS Bulletin
series.
In d u s tr y

55

L a b o r F o rc e
th e

S ta t is t ic s

D e r iv e d

C u r r e n t P o p u la tio n

OTHER DATA SOURCES

fro m

S u rv e y : A

Vols. I and II. Bulletin 2096,

D a ta b o o k ,

m e n t M a tr ix ,

Sept. 1982
N a t io n a l S u r v e y o f P r o fe s s io n a l,
m in is t r a t iv e ,
P ay,

T e c h n ic a l,

M a rc h

1983,

U n it e d

a n d

A d ­

C le r ic a l

Bulletin 2181, 1983

O c c u p a tio n a l I n ju r ie s
th e

S ta te s b y

a n d

I lln e s s e s

In d u s tr y ,

P e r s p e c t iv e s

on

W o r k in g

C h a rtb o o k ,

E con o m y: A

Bulletin 2172, June 1983

U.S. Bureau of the Census,
S ta t is t ic s

o f th e

T im e s

to

1957,

U rb a n

U .S ., A

d u s tr ie s ,

M e a s u re s

fo r S e le c te d

In ­

Bulletin 2189, Dec.

1 9 5 4 -8 2 ,

1983
D e p o r t s , (Reprints
from the M o n t h l y L a b o r F l e v i e w cover­
ing various aspects of the labor force;
includes detailed tables not published
in the Review.) Bulletin 2192,
“ Students, Dropouts, and Graduates,’’
Dec. 1983

S p e c ia l L a b o r F o r c e

T a b le s

o f W o r k in g

D e c r e m e n t M o d e l,

L ife :

The

In c re m e n t-

Bulletin 2135, Nov.

1982
T re n d s

in

1 9 4 8 -8 1 ,
U n io n

M u lt if a c t o r P r o d u c t iv it y ,

Bulletin 2178, Sept. 1983

W ages

T ra d e s ,

a n d

B e n e fits : B u ild in g

July 1980, Bulletin 2091

C o n s u m e r E x p e n d itu r e
S u rv e y ,
W age
A re a s ,

1 9 8 0 -8 1 ,

D if f e r e n c e s
1982,

S u r v e y : D ia r y

Bulletin 2173, 1983
A m o ng

U n it e d

H is t o r ic a l

S ta te s ,

C o lo n ia l

Washington, D.C., 1960

M e tr o p o lita n

Summary 83-5, 1983

S tu d y o f C o n s u m e r E x ­

a n d S u r v e y s , Vol.
XVIII, University of Pennsylvania, 1957
1 9 8 2 -8 3

P r o d u c tiv ity

E m p lo y ­

1 9 9 5 A lte r n a tiv e s

(Published by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics but available only from the
National Technical Information
Service, 5285 Port Royal Road,
Springfield, VA 22161.)

p e n d itu r e s ,
th e

to

W om en: A

Bulletin 2080, Oct. 1980

P r o d u c tiv ity a n d

1982

in

Bulletin

2164, 1983

D a ta b o o k ,

N a tio n a l I n d u s tr y - O c c u p a tio n

In c o m e s

S o u rc e

B oo k

o f H e a lth

Health Insurance
Association of America, 1983
s u ra n c e

D a ta ,

In ­

56

How to obtain BLS data
News releases

Reports

News releases are available without
charge from the Bureau’s regional of­
fices listed in this publication and from
Inquiries and Correspondence, Bureau
of Labor Statistics, Washington, D.C.
20212. Regular mailings of releases on
specific subjects are available upon
request to be put on the mailing list.

Reports on national data are
available without charge from the
Washington or regional offices.
Regional offices also issue reports
presenting local or regional data.
These are available from the
originating office.

Bulletins
Periodicals
Subscriptions to the Bureau’s
periodicals may be ordered from the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C. 20402. Single copies
also may be ordered.

Bulletins may be purchased from
any of the Bureau’s regional offices or
from the Superintendent of Docu­
ments. Bulletins that are out of print
may be available for reference at
leading public, college, or university
libraries, and at Federal depository
libraries.

Machine-readable data
Many BLS published series are
available on magnetic tapes, usually
for a fee equal to costs. To purchase
tapes, contact the Bureau’s Division of
Financial Planning and Management
for ordering information.

* U.S

G .P .O . 1984-449-

18: 19027

BLS Regional Offices
Region I—Boston

Region III—Philadelphia

1603 JFK Federal Building,
Government Center,
Boston, Mass. 02203

3535 Market Street,
P.O. Box 13309,
Philadelphia, Pa. 19101

Region II—New York

Region IV—Atlanta

1515 Broadway,
Suite 3400,
New York, N.Y. 10036

1371 Peachtree Street, N.E.,
Atlanta, Ga. 30367

Region V—Chicago
9th Floor,
Federal Office Building,
230 S. Dearborn Street,
Chicago, III. 60604

Region VI—Dallas
Second Floor,
555 Griffin Square Building,
Dallas, Tex. 75202

Regions VI and VIII—Kansas City
911 Walnut Street,
Kansas City, Mo. 64106

Regions IX and X—San Francisco
450 Golden Gate Avenue,
P.O. Box 36017,
San Francisco, Calif. 94102