america's dynamic workforce: 2008 |
The U.S. economy provides a consistent benchmark for the world across a broad
range of economic and labor market indicators, including GDP per capita, the
productivity of its workers, robust productivity growth, high labor force
participation, low overall unemployment, and low long-term unemployment. Other
nations may lead in individual indicators, but the United States is consistently
at or near the top across many measures. Its vibrant, flexible labor market is a
benchmark for other nations.
The successful record of the United States across a broad range of indicators
and over an extended time period is remarkable for a mature industrial economy.
The fact that the United States has achieved these results in the face of
growing worldwide competition and other challenges, both natural and man-made,
is a further testament to the robustness and resilience of an economic system
based on free and open markets. And it is a testament to the energy, creativity,
skills, flexibility, and competitiveness of American workers and employers.
This chapter provides an overview of a few selected labor market indicators
across countries. For a more comprehensive review of international data, see
A Chartbook of International Labor Comparisons, available online at
www.dol.gov/asp.
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