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There are certain questions that should not, and cannot, be asked during a job interview. Questions concerning age, national origin, religion, disabilities, and marital status are illegal and potentially discriminatory. If an interviewer asks how old you are or if you are a U.S. citizen, those are obviously illegal questions. However, you still need to be aware that questions such as, "What year did you graduate high school?" "Where were your parents born?" and "What's your native tongue?" are also illegal. Any questions pertaining to your personal life, health, and family are also not allowed. If a hiring manager asks how many kids you have, what your child-care arrangements are, or if you plan to have children, you should not answer.

There are questions along the same lines as the ones above which are very different and okay to ask. For example, an interviewer can ask questions such as, "Are you authorized to work in the U.S?" "Are you over the age of 18?" "Can you lift over 50 pounds?" or "Are you able to perform the essential job functions of the position?"

These questions reveal whether you can do the job and are not illegal. A person's citizenship is irrelevant to performing the job, but candidates must prove they are authorized to work in the U.S. A company has the right to confirm you have the proper authorization to work and that you can perform the tasks required, but any question that is not related to the job itself and requires you to divulge personal information is not allowed.

The iHireJobNetwork provides a variety of services for interested Job Seekers. For more information, please contact us at (866)238-0161, Extension 103.

Real average hourly earnings for all employees rose 0.2 percent from May to June, seasonally adjusted. This change stemmed from a 0.2 percent decrease in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), while average hourly earnings remained unchanged.

Real average weekly earnings fell 0.1 percent over the month, as a result of the increase in real average hourly earnings combined with a 0.3-percent decrease in average weekly hours. Since reaching a recent peak in October 2010, real average weekly earnings have fallen 1.4 percent.

From June 2010 to June 2011, real average hourly earnings fell 1.5 percent, seasonally adjusted. A 0.6-percent increase in average weekly hours combined with the decrease in real average hourly earnings resulted in a 0.9 percent decrease in real average weekly earnings during this period.

These data are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Employment Statistics program. To learn more, see “"Real Earnings — June 2011"”.

Source: US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics