10 Facts About the American Worker That You May not Have Known

Whether you realize it or not, American workers are largely responsible for driving the consumer-based global economy. As they earn money, they spend money, with those dollars then going back to companies to help fuel even more jobs. But who exactly makes up this all-important labor pool? Pew Research sheds some light on the matter.

1. Service Sector

More than 71 percent of the 150 million American workers are in the service sector. This includes jobs in education, health care, professional services and business services. By comparison, the manufacturing industry employs 12.3 million people.

2. Self-Employment

Around 15 million American workers classify themselves as self-employed, as of 2014. These people hire an additional 30 million workers, which means self-employment is responsible for around 45 million jobs.

3. Union Membership

Membership in labor unions peaked in the mid-1950s at about 35 percent of American workers. In 2015, just 11.1 percent of the labor force counted themselves as union members, even though the physical number of union members rose to 14.8 million in that year.

4. Right to Unionize

More than 80 percent of Americans feel certain sectors have the right to unionize. Factory workers, public safety officers, teachers and even fast food workers have the backing of a majority of Americans if they want to form unions.

5. Wage Gap

Women make approximately 83 percent of men's salaries. However, among the youngest workers, those ages 16 to 24, the gender wage gap is 93 percent. There are several reasons why women fall behind later in life, including taking time off to raise a family.

6. College Education

The wage gap gap between those with college degrees and those without is the widest since 1968. In 2015, people with college degrees earned an average of $50,000 per year versus $20,000 annually for those who didn't have a degree. More jobs require high-tech or advanced training, and higher education provides that experience.

7. Teen Workers

In the mid-1970s, around 57 percent of teens had summer jobs. In 2014, that number was just 34 percent. Although the percentages fell, there are more teenagers in America in 2016, as well as more job opportunities. In 2015, only 10 million teens didn't have a job or access to education.

8. Millennial Generation

The millennial generation took over as the largest segment of active American workers in 2015. Millennials accounted for 54 million workers in 2015, surpassing generation Y at 52.8 million. After topping out at 65 million in 1995, around 45.1 million baby boomers remained in the workforce. More millennials are becoming managers as baby boomers retire and gen-Yers become executives.

9. Older Americans

Nearly 20 million people ages 65 or older, or 9 million Americans, work full- or part-time jobs, as of May 2016. This number has steadily increased since May of 2000.

10. Minimum Wage

Although 58 percent of Americans favor increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 per hour, many politicians don't. Increasing the minimum wage is tricky issue, as it can affect the American economy by increasing business costs and reducing employment.

So what do these statistics on American workers all mean? By and large, they help demonstrate just how diverse, massive and rapidly changing of a labor pool companies around the world are depending on both directly and indirectly.

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