Labor in the Global Economy

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE, The New York Times, January 4, 2011. In the United States, there are more than 150 million people in the labor force, a vast pool of workers that includes autoworkers and investment bankers, teachers and lumberjacks. During the recession that ran from late 2007 into 2009, unemployment climbed to more than 15 million, with the jobless rate climbing to 10 percent and remaining above 9 percent throughout 2010.

The American labor force takes many forms: there are the traditional fulltime workers, but as employers have sought to create more flexible work forces, they have relied increasingly on part-time workers, temps and independent contractors. There has also been a surge in the number of immigrant workers in recent decades, with many experts estimating that the nation has 12 million illegal immigrant workers. Learn more...