Eighteen indicators represent important considerations for discussions about education and the economy and strategies for public policy. They describe major aspects of the economy, the demand for labor, and levels for human capital. The indicators are the following: (1) shifts in sectors' relative share of gross national product and the labor force (from manufacturing to service); (2) linkages in the economy--value added; (3) linkages in the economy--output multipliers; (4) U.S. trade deficit in manufactured goods; (5) U.S. competitiveness in high technology products; (6) occupations by industry; (7) job classifications grouped by educational attainment; (8) trends in the unemployment rates of white and black workers; (9) trends in the relative advantage of a college education; (10) employees receiving company training; (11) trends in the composition of the labor force; (12) trends in new entrants in the labor force; (13) comparison of job growth by race, sex, and ethnicity; (14) trends in the percentage of children living in poverty; (15) years of school completed, by race; (16) literacy skills of young adults; (17) international comparisons in mathematics and science achievement; and (18) the geographic literacy of young people. (36 references) (KC)