Excerpts from testimony presented at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights hearings on discrimination because of language, employment profile of Asian-Americans, and unemployment and underemployment. (JM)

The number of persons working part-time for economic reasons increased 60 percent (by 2.112 million workers) between 1979 and 1985. Although total wage and salary employment is up since 1979, nearly one in five new positions is a part-time job filled by a worker unsuccessful in finding full-time employment. Sixty-two percent of those working…

A study examined the nature and the relative incidence of different forms of underemployment and how and under what conditions underemployment of older workers differed from that of younger workers. Data from May 1979, May 1988, and April 1993 Current Population Surveys (CPSs) for workers aged 50-64 were used. Two categories of underemployed…

A survey of 75 countries investigated jobs performed by adults with visual impairments throughout the world. Although there is a greater diversity in the range of jobs in developed countries, people who are visually impaired do not have the same range of opportunities available to them as sighted people. (Contains references.) (CR)

Of the currently unemployed workforce, a portion (100,000 to 2.1 million) can be termed dislocated workers. Even as the economy recovers from the current recession, these involuntarily unemployed workers will face serious problems finding new jobs because of structural changes in the economy. Current unemployment and training programs often do not…

Although many recent reports on the United States educational system urge increased investment in education to prepare students for the jobs of a high-tech future, a more immediate problem is that of the large proportion of the labor force which is currently "overeducated" or "underemployed." (JBM)

A coordinated approach to attain full employment in Hawaii remains a priority need in governmental policy. Manpower problems which began to mount after 1970 were compounded by fuel and material shortages in 1974. The report urges that adequate policies now be formulated to meet the problems. It recommends the adoption of a State policy which…

This compendium of seventeen papers discusses women's overall role in a full employment economy and their problems in fulfilling that role. It begins with a comprehensive summary of the authors' views and then presents the papers in six sections: (1) overview; (2) overcoming barriers; (3) support services and adjusted conditions; (4) education and…

A study examined barriers to employment for rural Michigan residents, especially during an economic boom. Four focus groups conducted in four nonmetropolitan growth counties in Michigan indicated that educated, skilled workers were seeking to enter the labor force or to work more hours, even though community leaders, newspapers, and job developers…

A review of the current literature addresses the questions: What is the extent of placement difficulty or unemployment among the recent crops of Ph.D.'s? What are the causes and explanations given for whatever market imbalance exists?; What are the long-term employment market projections for Ph.D.'s?; and What employment-promoting steps can those…

A stratified random sample of 69 6 workers in 361 households in Kern County, California, was selected to investigate the changes in labor use resulting from farm mechanization, and to explore the trend towards a stable labor force. Some major findings were: (1) Mechanization of the cotton harvest has erased the high peak of seasonal farm labor,…

The moral and ethical values enunciated by America's leading religious organizations lay much of the groundwork for its major democratic institutions and establish the benchmarks by which U.S. employment conditions and policies should be measured. The public's perception of the economy's relative well-being is based on oversimplified statistical…

This study was conducted to determine how many workers are in low-wage jobs; their characteristics and changes in their characteristics over time; the characteristics of the low-wage jobs; gender, sex, and racial factors influencing participation in low-wage jobs; and the relationship of low-wage work to family poverty and welfare receipt. The…

The actual and desired working hours of women in western and eastern Germany were examined by surveying a random sample of 6,742 western and eastern German women aged 18-65 years. Of the women interviewed, 1,800 from western Germany and 1,341 from eastern Germany were in dependent employment. An overall response rate of 52.8% was achieved.…

In response to the need for up-to-date information on employment opportunities for handicapped people in the leisure occupations, a national survey was conducted to determine both existing levels of employment and employer practices. The survey was sent to 500 agencies and businesses representing four leisure occupational subclusters: travel,…