Specific demands have included everything from raising taxes on the rich to strengthening organized labor to abolishing the Federal Reserve.

FORBES: Occupy Wall Street: One Man's Thoughts

If both reports reflect a bolstered labor market, the Federal Reserve could put off any plans to further boost the economy.

FORBES: ADP: U.S. Hiring Surged In August With 201,000 New Jobs

According to my calculations on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Reserve, employment in business management and finance during the past 20 years correlated negatively at a moderate magnitude with changes in the interbank interest rate.

FORBES: Value Destroyers Like Bernanke Fancy Themselves Magician Economists

Aerospace production grew at a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.8% in the fourth quarter while overall U.S. manufacturing shrank 1.9%, according to the Federal Reserve and the Department of Labor.

FORBES: A Pewter Lining

"If Mississippi had the same minimum wage as San Francisco, it probably would cause a lot of unemployment, " speculates Eric French, a senior economist specializing in labor and health issues at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

FORBES: Magazine Article

In providing the Federal Reserve rationale behind the extension, Bernanke cited a concern with future economic growth without improvements in the labor market.

FORBES: Move up http://i.forbesimg.com t Move down

Nontheless, the labor group said that the bill is still "far from perfect, " adding that it continues to "reserve judgment" on the measure as it moves through Congress.

FORBES: Magazine Article