December 30, 2011 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Recycling occupations

Median annual wages, selected occupations in remediation and other waste management services, 2010
Occupation	Median annual wage
General and operations managers	$90,790
Logisticians	67,720
Sales representatives, wholesale manufacturing, except technical and scientific products	56,150
Sales representatives, services, all other	52,540
Industrial machinery mechanics	47,280
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	38,780
Refuse and recyclable material collectors	29,610
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	23,570

These data are featured in the TED article, Recycling occupations.

OF INTEREST

Recent editions of Spotlight on Statistics

Inflation Experiences for Lower and Higher Income Households Presents consumer price indexes for the lowest and highest household incomes to examine how different spending patterns change measures of inflation.
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Urban and Rural Spending Habits
Explores how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the spending behaviors of urban and rural consumers.
Workplace Injuries and Job Requirements for Construction Laborers
Examines typical physical requirements for construction laborers, exposures they experience on the job, and nonfatal and fatal injuries they incur.
Housing Leases in the U.S. Rental Market
Summarizes responses to two new survey questions about leasing.
Spotlight on State Productivity Statistics
Looks at short- and long-term trends in labor productivity, output, hours worked, and labor compensation in each state.