Annual productivity increases averaged 2.4 percent during 1963-79, slowing since 1972 to 1.5 percent; computer-assisted design and product standardization aided growth in output per employee-hour. (Author)

In the 1980s, men's average earnings declined and percentage with low earnings increased, largely because of technological change. Shifts in industrial employment patterns affected African Americans' earnings more than whites' or Hispanics', although educational upgrading helped hold down the growth of low earnings. (SK)

This paper, in "Part I--Trends in Industrial Development"--notes that industrial development is continuing in developing countries, but with such discontinuity, diversity, and selectivity that generalizations are difficult. In the first development decade (the 1960's), industrialization did not fulfill expectations, and gaps in economic status…

This study was conducted to answer four questions about the tool and die industry in Michigan. These were: (1) What are the current production techniques? (2) To what extent are these industrialists aware of new technologies? (3) What technical and economic factors affect technological change? and (4) To what extent will new technologies replace…

Discusses technological change in the telecommunications industry; changes in job content and skill levels; decreased labor requirements in the telephone industry; the impact on labor and employment; trends in productivity and investment; and the social and economic ramifications of communication technology changes. (MF)

This study examines the significant role of computers in the transformation of the Canadian employment structure. An executive summary appears in English and French. Following an introduction, Section 2 discusses how the role of computerization of the employment structure is viewed in the literature. Section 3 presents an overview of past…

A study examined the need for vocational counseling among two target groups of young people under the age of 28 years in Spain: young women whose chief activity is domestic work in their own homes in Madrid and young people of both sexes affected by industrial reconversion who were living on the left bank of the Bilbao Estuary. Their vocational…

A study investigated the human and physical resources implications of award restructuring in the textiles and metals industries for the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) system in Australia. (Award restructuring is based on union/employer cooperation in a process of negotiation and compromise between employers committed to increased…

This book explores the global economic and social changes that will likely occur as continued technological advancements (especially in the field of computer science) reduce the number of workers needed to produce the goods and services needed by the global population. The book is divided into five sections. Section 1 presents an overview of the…

The possible impact of technological and structural change on employment in the European Union (EU) over the next 20 years was examined through an exploration of the following alternative policy-driven scenarios: (1) business as usual; (2) concentrated technology policy (increases in innovation and research and development [R&D] efforts are…

The nature of basic computer occupations has changed greatly since the early 1980s. The changes reveal a shift in the respective roles of the sectors of industry associated with computer services (manufacturing and industrial computing). The service sector has adopted the procedures of industry in terms of organization, methods, and quality,…

This document summarizes the debates that occurred at a European seminar on the adaptation of workers to industrial change. The document begins with the following three speeches: "The Challenges of Adapting Workers to Industrial Change" (Dominique Balmary); "Objective 4 of the Structural Funds: A Response to the Double Challenge of…

This document contains papers in which 12 experienced gender specialists examine the various developments and elements affecting women's participation as equal players in the workplace and propose actions and policies promoting sex equity in the workplace. The following papers are included: "Preface" (Mary Chinery-Hesse); "Introduction " (Eugenia…

The future of low-wage jobs is examined through a case study of firm restructuring in the retail industry. The study confirms that the retailing sector has come to be dominated by the Wal-Mart model, which emphasizes an efficient technology-driven inventory management system and a human resource approach that includes the following elements:…

This document contains 12 papers on vocational education and training (VET) and related research that were developed for a 1998 European research report titled "Training for a Changing Society." The following papers are included: "Foreword" (Stavros Stavrou, Manfred Tessaring); "Institutional Framework Conditions and…