It is generally accepted that human capital is an important factor in economic growth, but its impact on growth depends on the demand for education and skills on the labor market. Demand for human capital is largely determined by the institutional environment that governs the basic conditions for economic activity. The author expresses ten doubts…

Panama has achieved socio-economic improvements in recent decades thanks to strong economic growth and consequent poverty reduction. Its growth model is characterised by a dual economy in which a small number of activities, including those related to the Canal and Special Economic Zones, have exhibited high productivity growth but limited job…

The Great Recession left a crater in the labor market that has been devastating for unemployed Americans of all ages. After more than two years of unemployment at well over 8%, there is a hole of more than 11 million jobs, with average spells of unemployment lasting nearly nine months. The weak labor market has been particularly tough on young…

The Boston metropolitan area is recognized by many for its concentration of prestigious private colleges and universities. The metropolitan area is home to over 80 private colleges and universities employing 68,600 people and attracting over 360,000 students from all over the world. This report uses employment and wage data from the Bureau of…

Since U.S. economic growth began to slow in 2006, both the Bush and Obama Administrations have enacted a number of fairly costly programs designed to stimulate the economy and employment growth. Because many of these programs are fairly new, there has been little comprehensive examination of their impacts, but initial analysis suggests that these…

Older workers are the fastest growing segment of the labor force, yet little is known about designing jobs for older workers that optimize their experiences relative to aging successfully. This study examined the contribution of workplace job design (opportunities for decision-making, skill variety, coworker support, supervisor support) to…

Outlines objectives and conclusions of a 1977 seminar for trade union officials and other specialists in labor relations on Europe and the trade unions in the next decade. Continuing economic problems and increasing economic interdependence between societies call for international labor cooperation in employment planning. (MF)

Important changes are taking place in the U.S. labor market. The economy has performed solidly over the last several years; the labor market has experienced robust job growth. A strong labor market benefits different segments of the population. Unemployment rates for those with less than a high school diploma fell by the largest amount between…

The most significant factors affecting the labor market during the 1980s were the United States' loss of competitiveness in the world marketplace, continued shifts in production from goods to services, changes in the skill requirements of many jobs, and demographic shifts in the population. During the next decade, incompatibility between the type…

Summarizes the findings and methodology of some of the recent innovative labor market studies in the private sector. Emphasis is placed on the micro-data study of the job creation process at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Similar studies at the University of California at Berkeley and at the Brookings Institution are also summarized. (CT)

Analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data from 1987-2001 identified patterns in nursing employment. Overall, the Australian labor force increased 29%; nursing occupations increased only 18%. The number of nursing workers per 100,000 population has steadily declined. The average age of nursing workers increased significantly; the proportion…

A factual and descriptive analysis of the employment situation in Bulgaria showed that the transition to a market economy has led to a substantial reduction of employment. The economic restructuring begun in 1990 has proved very difficult, and the privatization of the large industrial enterprises faces problems mainly due to insufficient interest…

The concept of full employment must relate government policy to the following: (1) improved quality of life; (2) private-public relations; and (3) the data needed for accountable decision making. Seven elements are suggested which will lay the groundwork for change. Historical government action on full employment is reviewed. (PS)

After German unification in 1990, more than 3 million jobs disappeared in eastern Germany and the obsolescence of eastern German capital stock became apparent. Further escalation of mass unemployment was successfully held in check; however, it soon became clear that labor market policies appropriate for western Germany were not, in and of…

This fifteenth special report of the National Commission for Manpower Policy examines the interplay between the forces determining work schedules and the incidence and prevalence of unemployment. In the first chapter the author sets forth the major trends in hours of work and in the changing structure of the labor force that has led increasingly…