Results of the American Institute of Physics' 1986 annual employment survey in physics and astronomy are presented in table form accompanied by narrative analysis. Information includes: time spent by 1985-86 physics degree recipients in securing employment, by degree level; changes in occupational status of physics and astronomy degree recipients between the summer of 1986 and the following winter; occupational status of experimental and theoretical physicists by type of dissertation research; characteristics of postdoctoral and full-time employed physics and astronomy doctorate recipients; changes in the type of initial employment accepted by new physicists, 1977, 1982, 1986; subfield mobility of new doctoral level physicists, 1985-86; employment with potential permanence accepted by 1985-86 doctorate recipients; characteristics of 1985-86 physics master's and bachelor's recipients related to the type of employment secured; selected characteristics of physics bachelor's recipients that affect their employment, 1986; median monthly salaries paid by civilian employers to bachelor's recipients, 1986; and employment of 1985-86 astronomy bachelor's recipients. (MSE)