Raw Data
Average Hourly Wage
Want to earn the big bucks? Two words: computer services. The digital revolution has been a bonanza for programming engineers, software developers, systems analysts, and data processors. Between 1988 and 1994, hourly wages for computer-service workers rose by almost 30 percent.
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Government Research and Development
The Apollo space program gave a big shot in the arm to non-defense research and development, but spending for military R&D skyrocketed during the Reagan administration. Efforts to cut the budget deficit have prompted calls for the increasing privatization of all R&D.
SOURCE: Budget of the United States Government, FY 1996
Floppy Disks
These are lean times for floppy-disk manufacturers. Although 3.5-inch floppies are the undisputed desktop standard, global supply exceeds demand by roughly 25 percent. By the end of the decade, floppy production is expected to decline as optical disks become the new storage mainstay.
SOURCE: ICI Market Research
Post-it Sales
It's the medium for leaving messages. Fifteen years after Post-it Notes first rolled off the presses, these lightly gummed slips of paper have earned a cherished place in the Office Products Hall of Fame. Yellow is the classic, but sales of the neon assortment have been growing fastest.
SOURCE: 3M Commercial Office Supply Division
