Although the general perception in the United States may be that downsizing in companies is pervasive and increasing, the facts show a slowing of the trend in downsizing and a net gain in employment. Many workers have found new jobs at or near their former pay rates, although only half of older workers are able to find jobs comparable to the ones…

Except for the increasing labor force shares of youth in the early 1970s, the impact of the changing age and sex composition of the labor force did not make a significant contribution to rising unemployment rates between 1969 and 1982. When compared to the recoveries over that period, however, the current recovery is marked by a significant impact…

Legislated and administrative changes in the unemployment insurance system during the 1980s probably reduced the program's detrimental effects on labor market efficiency. They did so without changing the nature of the federal-state relationship that makes the program so unusual. Regrettably, though, they hurt the labor market status of low-wage…

This document analyzes the labor market problems of displaced older workers. Chapter 1 is an introduction. Chapter 2 describes the magnitude of the problems of unemployment, discouragement, and displacement of older workers. The outcomes of unemployment are discussed, with attention to the duration of unemployment, the effects of displacement, and…

New corporate practices and strategies, technological advances and rising job skill requirements are making postsecondary training a virtual necessity for a high-paying job. This is driving a wedge between the earnings of education "haves" and "have nots." Corporate restructuring is eliminating hundreds of thousands of jobs,…

William Julius Wilson's "The Truly Disadvantaged" blames the rise in the Black urban underclass on the rapid, systemic, and structural changes in the economy in the 1970s, which left Black unemployment at a spectacularly high rate. His insights should be acknowledged and his recommendations heeded. (BJV)

Faced with worker displacement stemming from a changing economy, states are acting to soften the economic impact of displacement on affected individuals and businesses. Key strategies and practices are as follows: (1) anticipating layoffs by analyzing economic and labor market trends (using data to anticipate layoffs; developing an early warning…