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…

In an uncertain economy, reliable information about tomorrow's labor market can be a valuable tool in career planning. Understanding the future workforce helps an individual prepare for his/her place in it. When choosing among careers--or assisting others who are making such choices--it helps to know a few basics: the types and number of jobs…

In today's job market, middle and high skills jobs--jobs that require some education and training beyond high school--comprise the majority of job openings and typically provide the best wages and opportunities for advancement. And almost every day, there is an article or news story discussing the "skills mismatch" phenomenon, the…

The idea of pathways indicates many possible journeys to some destination or outcome. Hence, even if everyone agreed that Indigenous school leavers should be moving towards "productive" employment, it is not easy to talk about "what works" as there are different paths that may suit different people. Indeed given the diverse…

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) conducts an annual survey of college students to identify: (1) how students approach the job market as they near graduation; (2) how responsive the market is to the graduating students; (3) the resources students use to seek their first full-time job after getting their degree; and (4) the…

Despite concerns that globalization will increase unemployment and wage inequality, drive down wages and labor standards, and threaten national policy autonomy, it is clear that national policies still determine employment levels and labor standards. However, the need to protect those damaged by globalization still exists. (SK)

Equal employment opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action policies have been the subject of much debate in recent years. Much of the disagreement is based on incomplete or distorted views about what affirmative action is and how it affects minorities and nonminorities. The Study Group on Affirmative Action was created to investigate current EEO…

Abstracts a number of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publications. For example, reviews seven current employment analysis documents, one employment structure and trends document, and one wages and industrial relations document. Provides other reference sources. Describes five types of BLS surveys on straight-time earnings and establishment…

Contingent workers are those employed in jobs that do not fit the traditional description of a full-time, permanent job with benefits. Contingent work takes the form of part-time, temporary, and contract employment. The number of contingent workers in 1988 has been estimated at between 29.9 and 36.6 million, representing 25-30 percent of the…

Ann McLaughlin, a former secretary of labor, discusses her views on the future of the workplace. She feels that to solve the impending problem of educational deficits among the work force, employers will begin their own educational programs, improving both employee loyalty and work force mobility. Includes predictions for future growth fields.…

This report presents keynote papers and summaries of panel discussions from a conference dealing with such issues as future career patterns in the United Kingdom (UK), the impact of microelectronic technology on the workforce, and the role of education in preparing persons for careers in an information society. Verner Wheelock describes the growth…

This paper appraises some completed and current research into discrimination in employment and indicates directions and questions for future research. Most research views discrimination as an economic waste and a social and moral evil, and so should be appraised in the light of the impact that it may have on eliminating or reducing discrimination.…

There has been a long-term rise in the relative share of the total number of workers engaged in producing intangible goods or services. Since 1967, this shift to employment in the service sector has been accommodated by a relative decline in manufacturing. Other trends that have taken place over the last decades and are likely to continue are…

This paper identifies some recent dimensions of labor market restructuring, based on an analysis of change in the United States economy. Information was drawn from a number of service industries, including retailing, telecommunications, insurance, banking, advertising, accounting, and other business services. Following an introduction that defines…

The statement represents a review of the general views of the 80 participants from 16 States and the District of Columbia as prepared at the close of their discussions of the changing world of work in the United States. Major questions addressed by the group dealt with the three distinct forces involved in the cross currents of rapid change: the…