The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released a remarkable set of data this year that will transform discussions of work in America. The data, collected through the agency’s Occupational Requirements Survey, measure the skill requirements and physical demands of jobs in the U.S. economy.
The topline numbers from the data collection are newsworthy. In the U.S., businesses typically require workers to hold at least a high school degree, but 30 percent of workers are in jobs where there is no minimum education requirement. The physical demands of work vary considerably and, even in the modern U.S. economy, about 4 in 10 workers are required to exert an amount of strength beyond the sedentary or light level.
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