This article describes the grim sentiments from the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, when reviewing the poor results from the U.S. performance on the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). He noted a straightforward and stark picture of educational stagnation--that fifteen-year-olds in the U.S. today are average in…

From 1960 to 2000, U.S. unemployment rates improved from relatively high to the lowest among the G7 countries. Canada and the United States were leaders in job creation whereas Japan and Europe had much weaker employment gains. (Contains 35 references.) (Author/JOW)

In international comparisons it was found that manufacturing productivity growth slowed after 1973 and unit labor costs accelerated in most industrial countries including the United States. Aggregate hours rose only in the U.S. (CT)

Presents data from the annual Freedom in the World survey, which evaluates political rights and civil liberties worldwide. End-of-century results indicate that 38.9 percent of the world's population lives in free societies, 25.3 percent lives in partly free societies, and 35.8 percent lives in not free societies. Discusses regional patterns,…

Compares unemployment, employment, and related labor market statistics in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Introduces employment-to-population ratios by sex and discusses unemployment rates published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and…

The report summarizes statistical data on the total number of disabled people in the world; national estimates of the number of disabled in 14 countries; the status of children, disabled women, and families of disabled people; and the mentally disabled. Also summarized are trends in various countries (both developed and developing). (Author/MC)

Examines the comparative labor market experience of youth in the United States and eight other developed countries from 1960-1979, focusing upon unemployment levels and rates. Finds that the situation worsened in industrialized nations after the 1974-75 recession and that Japanese and German youth continue to have the most favorable job prospects.…

This article updates comparative unemployment rates through the third quarter 1982 and other related labor market statistics through 1981 for the U.S. and nine other countries. The foreign unemployment and labor data are adjusted to U.S. concepts. (CT)

Presents a set of tables indicating the diversity of the economics of the 24 member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). Includes data on the public expenditure on education as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). (ML)

The flow of developing country students to developed countries is examined from the perspective of the sending authorities in developing countries and the loss of foreign exchange to developing nations. The implications for expansion of higher education in developing nations are discussed. (MSE)

Productivity increased in 1981 in the United States, Japan, and European countries studied. Gains ranged from 2 to 4 percent in the US, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, to 6 percent in England and Denmark, and more than 7 percent in Belgium. In Canada and Sweden, productivity remained essentially unchanged. (SSH)

Presents data on the construction and renovation of academic and public libraries and two-year college learning resource centers for 1980-81. Information collected by this annual survey includes costs, area and capacity, and names of architects. Multiyear comparisons, data on Canadian public libraries, and a directory of architects are included.…

A discussion of the economics of higher education in developed and developing countries looks at these issues: increasing costs, spending in comparison with level of development, public subsidization, access, proportion of spending on salaries, higher education as investment, funding sources, cost reduction, and strategies for shifting cost…

Using data from 1960 to 1976, the author examines population and enrollment trends for successive levels of education in the world's developed and developing regions and computes enrollment and drop-out ratios. National expenditures on education and gross national product per capita expense figures are also presented for these regions. (SJL)

Using a data set of 123 countries, the status of youth was analyzed on a global scale. The relative proportions of youth and adult populations and the opportunities nations provided their young people were evaluated. The implications of inter-age and intra-age stratification throughout the world are discussed. (SLD)