The college enrollment rate has fallen in recent years, and many high school graduates are looking for lucrative opportunities that do not require four years of college tuition. While the typical job in the…
After years of rapid post-recession economic growth, the U.S. economy has begun to cool off. The nation’s GDP rose by 1.5% in 2016, slower than the 2.6% increase in 2015 and 2.2% increase in…
American consumers and retailers waste an estimated 133 billion pounds of food annually. While the nation’s food waste amounts to nearly $162 billion a year, tens of millions of Americans struggle to afford food…
The gap between the rich and poor has continued to widen in the United States. While the wealthiest 5% of U.S. households earn at least $203,000 annually, the bottom 20% earn less than $22,000…
One of the most common naming conventions in the United States is to give a child the name of his or her older relative or ancestor. While popular 20th century names like Gladys, Edna,…
Chinese investment in the United States hit an all-time high in 2016. That year, Chinese companies invested $46 billion in the country, more than triple the $15 billion investment in 2015. Just 12 major…
The idea of contraception has been around for thousands of years as a way to prevent pregnancy. While some of the first written descriptions of contraception appear as early as 1550 B.C., the safest…
The typical U.S. household earned $53,889 in 2015, roughly $2,500 more than in 2009, when the typical household earned $51,425. While American incomes have risen substantially since the depths of the Great Recession, the…
Every year, more than 275 million containers enter the United States by boat, truck, rail, and air. Last year, U.S. law enforcement agencies seized a total of 31,560 shipments containing counterfeit goods, an increase…
Most Americans agree that it is important to provide children with ample opportunities for success, regardless of where they live. To this end, state and local government budgets include provisions for children’s basic education,…
Many factors contribute to the health of a population, and worldwide health varies to the extreme. While most Americans are aware that these global health disparities exist, a look at the health outcomes of…
U.S. universities and colleges spent a combined $68.8 billion on research and development in 2015. R&D spending is highly concentrated among the top research universities, with the top 20 schools accounting for more than…
By many health measures, the United States, a nation of over 320 million, is an anomaly. Despite health spending approaching $10,000 per person — which amounts to twice and even three times the spending…
The Norwegians and the Swiss have the highest life satisfaction in the world, according to the newest edition of the Better Life Index. According to the study, published annually by the Organization for Economic…
U.S. government federal contract spending totaled $436.9 billion in 2015, with an estimated 64% of the spending going to national defense contracts. The U.S. defense budget is by far the largest in the world,…
The typical woman working full time in the United States earns just 80 cents for every dollar the typical man earns. While the gender pay gap has narrowed substantially since the Equal Pay Act…
The U.S. population grew by less than 1% last year, among the slowest rates in decades. Metropolitan areas continue to grow faster than rural areas. Still, among the nation’s 381 metropolitan areas, populations fell…
The cost of a higher education — which can often help fund world-class research, academic instruction, and state-of-the-art athletic facilities — is infamously high in the United States. Tuition and fees at U.S. universities…
Waiting tables is one of the most common occupations in the United States. There are 2.5 million waiters and waitresses nationwide, often working for low wages and customer tips. Earning $11.07 per hour, the…
Most state economies are relatively diverse, yet it is not uncommon for a single industry to have an outsized impact on the state’s economy and labor market. In some cases, a single company employs…
