This document examines trends in employment, earnings, and education requirements among major sectors, industries, and four detailed industry groups (high tech, business services, health services, and eating and drinking establishments) in the United States. Trends show that the service sector, particularly in business and health services, are important sources of new jobs in the U.S. economy. Because the service sector tends to employ more college graduates, its expansion will tend to raise the educational requirements of jobs in the future economy. Yet the service sector pays lower average wages than the goods-producing sector, which could alter the distribution of earnings. The paper's first section contains a rationale for examining the industrial sector and includes a description of the industrial structure of the economy. The second section examines differences in employment and educational requirements among industrial sectors and detailed groups. Differences in earnings among industries are the subject of the third section. The final section discusses the implications of the material presented earlier. A 15-item bibliography and seven tables conclude the document. (CML)