Many researchers have analyzed the factors contributing to the rise of low wage work, explored the changing composition of the low wage labor force, examined the barriers to upward mobility faced by low wage workers, and suggested potential policy avenues for improving their living conditions (Appelbaum, Bernhard, and Murnane 2003, Shulman 2003, Bartik 2001, and Freeman and Gottschalk 1998). Given the changing circumstances of recent years, however, the time is ripe for -- and the field requires -- a fresh and comprehensive look at current labor market conditions and trends. In particular, the philanthropic community, labor market scholars, and those working in and with government to help low wage workers and new labor force entrants to move into better jobs all face the challenge of better understanding: 1) how the changing occupational structure of various industries in the national labor market influences wage patterns across industry/occupation cells or niches, 2) how the demographics of those who work in these cells are also changing, 3) how these trends play out across metropolitan places, and 4) which metropolitan areas and labor force segments show the most interesting trends, both in terms of upward mobility and in terms of driving the overall picture. This study provides information useful in addressing these questions for the period from 1980 to 2006, with a particular focus on the trends between 2000 and 2006
