American real average weekly rose slightly by 0.3 percent from April 2008 to May 2008 to $604.58 after seasonal adjustment, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor. Over the past 12 months, weekly earnings rose by 3.2 percent. In May, average hourly earnings edged up by 5 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $17.94, seasonally adjusted. This followed gains of 6 cents in March and 2 cents in April.

Engineers, machinists and skilled trade workers are among the nation’s most challenging positions to fill, according to survey findings released by Manpower Inc.

A federal lawsuit has been filed in New Jersey charging the Bush administration with illegally avoiding the current limits for the H1-B visa program. The Immigration Reform Law Institute, the Programmers Guild and others said the administration has improperly extended the time foreign nationals can work in the U.S. on student visas from one year to 29 months.

American real average weekly earnings fell by 0.2 percent from March 2008 to April 2008 to $602.56 after seasonal adjustment, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor. Over the past 12 months, weekly earnings rose by 3.4 percent.

Three Texas cities had the fastest-growing labour force in the USA from 2000 to 2005. For cities with populations of 25,000 or more, Frisco had 73 percent labour force growth, followed by Cedar Park (66 percent) and McKinney (53 percent). These were followed by Carmel, Indiana (50 percent), and Dania Beach, Florida (45 percent).

United States non-farm payroll employment, at 138.1 million, and the unemployment rate, at 4.9 percent, were essentially unchanged in January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported.

Nearly a quarter of people aged between 65 and 74 were in America’s labor force in 2006 - up from a fifth in 2000. By 2020, it’s thought that one in three of America’s workers will be older than 50 and the rate of increase of the gray population in the labor force will be four times greater than the rate of overall labor force growth.

The American economy has added the lowest number of jobs for five months, increasing payrolls by just 92,000. The 4.6% unemployment rate in July was the highest since January.

The number of businesses without employees in America grew to 20.4 million in 2005 as 860,000 people went into business for themselves. These businesses, known in business circles as lone wolves, had total receipts of $951 billion.

41 percent of American employers are struggling to fill vacancies because of a lack of available skills. Sales representatives, teachers and mechanics are among America’s most sought-after workers.