Carol Rowan and Sonya Wahi-Miller find that prices paid for imports into the United States rose in 2006 for the fifth consecutive year, influenced once again by increasing energy prices. Geopolitical instability and supply concerns drove energy prices higher for the first 8 months of the year, before they receded. Import prices for industrial metals and for iron and steel remained high in 2006, due in part to strong international demand. The weakening of the U.S. dollar in relation to the Euro and other European currencies had an impact on import prices for capital and consumer goods. Prices of U.S. exports had their largest rise in nearly two decades, led by increases in corn and soybean prices.

The Midwest region of the United States has long been a center for an industry with a global reach, both productively and symbolically: the manufacture of automobiles. Benjamin Collins, Thomas McDonald, and Jay A. Mousa point out that employment in the complementary auto parts manufacturing sector is roughly 3 times larger than the auto manufacturing sector. After showing strong-to-modest job gains in the 1990s, the auto parts manufacturing industry has suffered steep declines in both employment and wages. The increased penetration into auto parts production from countries such as Canada, Japan, and China are contributors to the domestic decline.

The influence of U.S. culture around the world has long been a subject of heated debate. Films, television shows, and music produced domestically routinely reach global audiences. The disproportionate concentration of the U.S. creative arts industries in New York City and Los Angeles is the subject of the article by Michael L. Dolfman, Richard J. Holden, and Solidelle Fortier Wasser, who argue that the clustering of resources for those industries in those two locations magnifies their influence.

Health educators promote wellness and healthy lifestyles. Covering a wide range of topics, these workers teach individuals and communities about behaviors that encourage healthy living and prevent diseases and other problems.

Health educators held 57,900 jobs in the United States in May 2006. Median annual wages of health educators were $41,330. The highest earning 10 percent made more than $72,500, and the lowest earning 10 percent made less than $24,750.

The specific duties of health educators vary by work setting, but whether they work in a hospital, school, business, or other setting, all health educators use similar skills and tools. In general, health educators begin by assessing their audience and planning a program that suits its needs. Then, they implement the program and evaluate its success.