Final answer:
Twelve employees' work hours were recorded, with each number representing one employee's hours for the past week. The data listed fits within the national averages as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking how many employees' work hours were recorded. To determine this, we simply count the number of hours listed. The hours worked by different employees last week are as follows: 32, 35, 35, 39, 42, 43, 43, 45, 46, 48, 50, 50. There are twelve distinct numbers listed, indicating that the work hours for twelve employees were observed.
Looking at the broader context provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we see that nationwide, U.S. workers averaged 38.5 hours per week in 2013, and for full-time workers, the average was 42.5 hours per week. The data shows that more than half of all workers are on the job 35 to 48 hours per week, which is consistent with the listed hours for the observed employees.