Everyday Life · Question 2IN PROGRESS
Can I find work, and is it worth it?
Jobs, unemployment, and job quality — full-time vs. gig, and whether work actually pays enough to live on.
WHERE THIS STANDS
Some of this is already live in the Affordability section — the jobs and unemployment questions share the same data. A dedicated Work deep-dive (job quality, benefits, productivity vs. pay) is next.
WHAT WE'RE BUILDING HERE
Full-time vs. part-time / gig / contract work over time
Source: BLS Current Population Survey
Benefits coverage (health insurance, retirement) by job type
Source: BLS / Census
Real minimum wage purchasing power timeline
Source: BLS / DOL
Productivity vs. compensation divergence (the big chart)
Source: BLS, EPI
Union membership rates and correlation with wages
Source: BLS Union Members survey
PLANNED DEMOGRAPHIC DRILL-DOWN
Where the federal data supports it, every metric here will break down by race/ethnicity, gender, income quintile, age, education, and geography — and where a breakdown isn't available, we'll say so out loud rather than hide the gap.