In France, career paths are negotiated not just on the industry level but also within companies. Since the passage in 1982 of the Auroux Laws, which require companies to undertake annual negotiations regarding real wages, real working hours, and the organization of work time, there has been a trend toward creation of individualized career paths.…

In France, most services provided to people in their homes are much less regulated than the same services provided in an institutional context. With the exception of providers of paramedical services, providers of home help are not required to possess particular training or diplomas. Until 1987, France's home help policies followed the Swedish…

The findings presented in this report are based on the results of the November 1988 supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted by the Bureau of the Census. Some of the highlights of the report follow. (1) Overall voter turnout dropped to 57 percent in 1988, the first decline reported in CPS in a presidential election since 1972.…

This document presents the following monthly statistical data for the population of United States: (1) employment status; (2) characteristics of the unemployed; (3) characteristics of the employed and their job categories; (4) seasonally adjusted employment and unemployment; (5) national employment; (6) employment in states and areas; (7) national…

Labor force participation rates for the years 1967 and 1987 indicate a significant trend toward early retirement by men (beginning in their fifties). Women in their fifties, on the other hand, have increased their labor force participation rate. By the age of 60, however, their labor force participation rates also decline sharply. Although this…

The relationship between training and the employment of women in the 12 countries of the European Union (EU) was examined. An analysis of the distribution of the female population by training levels revealed that women in the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark generally had the highest overall levels of training, whereas women in Spain and Portugal…

The French vocational baccalaureat was created in response to labor market changes and technological innovations of the early 1980s. Unlike France's general and technical baccalaureats, the vocational baccalaureat normally guarantees immediate entry into working life. It is generally prepared for in 2 years after an initial period of vocational…

This report is the third of a series of reports based on data collected in the 1978 National Sample of Scientists and Engineers survey. Profiled are the characteristics of 29,775 persons represented in the national sample's field of environmental scientists: 24,615 earth scientists, 3,481 atmospheric scientists, and 1,678 oceanographers.…

In this bulletin, recent demographic and socioeconomic trends among American blacks are reviewed and compared with trends among whites. The report includes information on black population growth and composition; rural-urban distribution; fertility and family planning practice; mortality; migration; family structure and marital status; education;…

The validity of the notion that welfare receipt is equivalent to "dependency" and work represents "self-sufficiency" was examined in a qualitative study during which 214 recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and 165 low-wage single mothers in 4 U.S. cities were interviewed. The women were contacted…

Women comprised 43% of the United States labor force in 1980, up from 29% in 1950. The surge in women's employment is linked to more delayed marriage, divorce, separation, women's increased education, lower fertility, rapid growth in clerical and service jobs, inflation, and changed attitudes toward "women's place." Employment has risen…

Changing workplaces offer opportunities for workers and companies that are flexible and willing to learn and adapt. Some trends in the changing workplace include the following; (1) downsizing among companies is decreasing; (2) companies are creating jobs while eliminating other jobs; (3) economic factors are as likely to create jobs as eliminate…

The African American population has made remarkable progress since the 1960s, but recent trends may derail the progress of many American blacks. Compared to previous years, United States blacks, who number 30 million in 1991, are more educated, earn higher salaries, work in more prestigious jobs, and participate more fully in politics. However,…

This paper explores some trends in U.S. education, student achievement, and worker earnings. Some of the findings are the following: (1) U.S. students are doing well in reading literacy but lag behind other leading nations in mathematics and science; (2) U.S. elementary school students have one of the lowest pupil-teacher ratios among the world's…

This newsletter issue offers six articles on employment of people with disabilities. "Employment and People with Disabilities: Challenges for the Nineties" (Frank Bowe) discusses the Americans with Disabilities Act, issues in unemployment and under-education, earnings, and implications for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative…