U.S. civilian workers recorded 4 percent annual growth in total compensation. Median earnings reached 45760 dollars while 20.1 percent earned less than 15 dollars an hour. At the same time 8.6 million positions required digital skills and minimum wages exceeded the federal level in 25 jurisdictions.
Key Takeaways
- $32.04 average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees in manufacturing in the U.S. (May 2024)
- 4.0% annual wage growth for U.S. civilian workers in 2023 (Employment Cost Index, total compensation)
- $45,760 median annual earnings for full-time wage and salary workers in the U.S. (2023)
- 4.4% unemployment rate for Asian workers in the U.S. (2023, annual average)
- 25.5 million people were employed in the U.S. leisure and hospitality sector in 2023
- 58.5% of workers in the U.S. have access to paid sick leave (2023)
- 25 jurisdictions in the U.S. had a minimum wage above the federal level as of 2024
- 14.3 million workers in the U.S. belonged to unions in 2023
- 8.6 million jobs in the U.S. required digital skills in 2023 (OECD estimates)
- 31% of workers in OECD countries reported that their job requires advanced digital skills (2022 PIAAC/ OECD)
- 43% of companies say skills shortages are impacting their ability to grow revenue (World Economic Forum, Global Risks/Workforce reports, 2024)
- 21% of employees report that their employer uses AI to screen resumes (2024 global survey)
- 3.3 million U.S. employees used an employer-provided computer tool daily for work in 2023 (BLS ATUS/ICT supplement estimate)
- 78% of U.S. employers reported using online job postings to recruit in 2024 (BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover context, JOLTS related employer survey)
- 66.7% of U.S. adults were working-age (ages 25–64) and had basic digital skills (EU and OECD benchmarking), according to the European Commission’s Digital Economy and Society report (latest published figures).
U.S. wages rose in real terms in 2023, while pay gaps and workplace risks persist.
Related reading
01 · Category
Wages And Income8 stats
01
$32.04average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees in manufacturing in the U.S. (May 2024)
02
4.0% annual wage growth for U.S. civilian workers in 2023 (Employment Cost Index, total compensation)
03
$45,760median annual earnings for full-time wage and salary workers in the U.S. (2023)
04
20.1% of workers in the U.S. earned less than $15/hour in 2023
05
25.2% gender pay gap (median earnings) between men and women in the U.S. (2023 ACS)
06
$41.2 billion in U.S. wage growth for minimum wage workers due to state policy changes (2023)
07
2.8x higher median weekly earnings for college graduates than for high school graduates in the U.S. (2023)
08
9.8% increase in real wages (inflation-adjusted) for U.S. workers from 2022 to 2023 (median weekly earnings, CPI-U adjusted)
Interpretation
Wages And Income Interpretation
Across the Wages And Income picture, pay growth is modest with civilian workers seeing 4.0% annual wage growth in 2023 while median full time earnings remain $45,760 and a large share of workers, 20.1%, still earn under $15 an hour.
02 · Category
Employment Levels2 stats
01
4.4% unemployment rate for Asian workers in the U.S. (2023, annual average)
02
25.5 million people were employed in the U.S. leisure and hospitality sector in 2023
Interpretation
Employment Levels Interpretation
Under the Employment Levels category, the U.S. showed continued strength in job availability with 25.5 million people employed in leisure and hospitality in 2023 while Asian workers faced a relatively low 4.4% unemployment rate.
03 · Category
Labor Policy And Regulation6 stats
01
58.5% of workers in the U.S. have access to paid sick leave (2023)
02
25 jurisdictions in the U.S. had a minimum wage above the federal level as of 2024
03
14.3 million workers in the U.S. belonged to unions in 2023
04
3.4 million workplace injuries and illnesses in the U.S. (nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses, 2023)
05
2.6 per 100 full-time workers were recordable injuries in the U.S. (2023)
06
5,486 U.S. workers were killed on the job in 2023 (fatal work injuries)
Interpretation
Labor Policy And Regulation Interpretation
In 2023, labor policy and regulation shaped working conditions for millions, with 58.5% of U.S. workers having paid sick leave while workplace harm remained significant at 3.4 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses and 5,486 fatal work injuries.
04 · Category
Skills And Talent3 stats
01
8.6 million jobs in the U.S. required digital skills in 2023 (OECD estimates)
02
31% of workers in OECD countries reported that their job requires advanced digital skills (2022 PIAAC/ OECD)
03
43% of companies say skills shortages are impacting their ability to grow revenue (World Economic Forum, Global Risks/Workforce reports, 2024)
Interpretation
Skills And Talent Interpretation
In the Skills and Talent labor landscape, digital capability is becoming essential as 8.6 million U.S. jobs required digital skills in 2023 and 31% of workers in OECD countries report needing advanced digital skills, while 43% of companies say skills shortages are already limiting their growth.
05 · Category
Workplace Technology6 stats
01
21% of employees report that their employer uses AI to screen resumes (2024 global survey)
02
3.3 million U.S. employees used an employer-provided computer tool daily for work in 2023 (BLS ATUS/ICT supplement estimate)
03
78% of U.S. employers reported using online job postings to recruit in 2024 (BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover context, JOLTS related employer survey)
04
58% of HR leaders expect their organization to use generative AI in HR functions within 12 months (2024 Gartner HR survey)
05
34% of employees report using remote work tools (collaboration software) daily at work (2023 survey)
06
$12.4 billion global spend on HR software in 2024 (forecast, market report)
Interpretation
Workplace Technology Interpretation
Across workplace technology, tools are moving from optional to expected, with 21% of employees reporting AI resume screening and 58% of HR leaders expecting generative AI in HR within 12 months, alongside widespread adoption like 78% of employers using online job postings in 2024.
More related reading
06 · Category
Workforce Demographics4 stats
01
66.7% of U.S. adults were working-age (ages 25–64) and had basic digital skills (EU and OECD benchmarking), according to the European Commission’s Digital Economy and Society report (latest published figures).
02
53.5% of workers in the European Union were employed in the service sector in 2023, according to Eurostat’s labor market by sector distribution (latest table release).
03
48.4% of the labor force in the EU was employed in occupations classified as ‘highly skilled’ or ‘medium/high-skilled’ in 2023 (Eurostat occupational structure indicators).
04
15.4% of workers in the European Union worked part-time in 2023, per Eurostat’s labor force survey on part-time employment shares.
Interpretation
Workforce Demographics Interpretation
Workforce Demographics show that while 66.7% of U.S. working age adults have basic digital skills, in the EU the workforce is increasingly concentrated in services with 53.5% employed there and 48.4% working in medium to highly skilled occupations, yet only 15.4% are part time in 2023.
07 · Category
Labor Market Dynamics1 stats
01
10.3 million U.S. job openings were reported in the most recent JOLTS release for April 2024 (Seasonally Adjusted).
Interpretation
Labor Market Dynamics Interpretation
In April 2024, the reported 10.3 million U.S. job openings show that labor market dynamics remain highly active, with demand for workers staying strong even as employment conditions evolve.
08 · Category
Compensation & Benefits3 stats
01
3.5% of total labor costs were attributable to worker benefits in the United States in 2023 (OECD compensation of employees components; includes social contributions and benefits).
02
51% of employees globally say they would consider leaving their job within the next year if benefits were reduced (WorldatWork/benefits attitudes survey figure).
03
2.4% was the median annual growth in real wages in the OECD area in 2022 (OECD real wage dynamics metric from the relevant OECD dataset release).
Interpretation
Compensation & Benefits Interpretation
With worker benefits making up only 3.5% of total labor costs in the US in 2023, yet 51% of employees globally say they would consider leaving if benefits were reduced, compensation and benefits represent a small cost share with outsized retention impact.
09 · Category
Workplace Safety & Health2 stats
01
2.7 million U.S. nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported in 2022 (BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, year total).
02
6,486 U.S. workers died from workplace injuries in 2022 (fatal work injuries).
Interpretation
Workplace Safety & Health Interpretation
In 2022, the United States recorded 2.7 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses and 6,486 fatal work injuries, underscoring that Workplace Safety and Health challenges affect both day to day harm and life threatening outcomes.
10 · Category
Workplace Technology & Ai1 stats
01
45% of knowledge workers report using AI tools at work at least monthly in 2024 (McKinsey Global Survey on AI use; latest wave figure).
Interpretation
Workplace Technology & Ai Interpretation
In 2024, 45% of knowledge workers reported using AI tools at work at least monthly, showing that Workplace Technology and AI are already mainstream and regularly embedded in how people do their jobs.
report visual · Key figures
Wages rising in 2023, after 2022
Real wages increased from 2022 to 2023 as inflation-adjusted earnings grew.
9.8%
9.8% increase in real wages (inflation-adjusted) for U.S. workers from 2022 to 2023 (median weekly earnings, CPI-U adjus
$32.04
$32.04 average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees in manufacturing in the U.S. (May 2024)
4%
4.0% annual wage growth for U.S. civilian workers in 2023 (Employment Cost Index, total compensation)
source-verifiedbls.gov2024
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Gabrielle Fontaine. (2026, February 13). Labor Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/labor-statistics
MLA
Gabrielle Fontaine. "Labor Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/labor-statistics.
Chicago
Gabrielle Fontaine. 2026. "Labor Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/labor-statistics.
Sources & references
36 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+22 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)