Discusses the impact of microprocessor technology on employment. Examines the changing nature of work and questions whether full employment is natural or necessary. Outlines physical, psychological, social, and material aspects of work. Notes implications for teachers, counselors, and students. (RC)

Changes in the American work force include more workers, especially women; racial and ethnic composition of the work force; lengthening work lives; decline in union representation; workers' attitudes toward labor and leisure; expansion of a service economy; and projected demand for blue-collar occupations. The effect of these changes on…

This survey of employers sought to determine recruiting trends of business, industry, and government among college graduates. Questionnaires were sent to 4,154 employers of which about 13 percent, or 545, responded. Highlights of the findings include the following: (1) for a second consecutive year employers predicted increased job opportunities…

The Occupational Projection Research Project investigated employer perceptions of the entry level skills, attitudes, and values (SAVs) needed for various occupations as well as employment demands for specific occupational clusters. Using a specially developed interview form, researchers interviewed a stratified random sampling of over 100 business…

This volume contains those data obtained during the Occupational Projection Research Project pertaining to urban areas. (The Occupational Projection Research Project was a research project that investigated employer perceptions of the entry level skills, attitudes, and values needed for various occupations as well as employment demands for…

This study sought to determine recruiting trends of business, industry, and government among the pool of new college graduates. Questionnaires were mailed to 4,072 employers, of which 507 returned complete responses. The survey found that new college graduates of 1995-96 can expect mild growth in job opportunities. For the third consecutive year,…

This study examined recruiting trends of business, industry, and government among new college graduates. Questionnaires were mailed to 4,890 employers, of which 489 returned complete responses. The survey found that new college graduates of 1996-97 can expect growth in job opportunities. An increase of 6.2 percent in job prospects and an increase…

This volume contains those data obtained during the Occupational Projection Research Project pertaining to rural and suburban areas. (The Occupational Projection Research Project was a research project that investigated employer perceptions of the entry level skills, attitudes, and values needed for various occupations as well as employment…

Sociocultural, economic, and philosophical trends involving the "baby boom" generation of the 1940s are discussed in relation to both educational relevance and the growing interest in vocational education in nontraditional settings. (LH)

The United States is a labor surplus society, one with a persistent shortage of jobs. This labor surplus--manifested in excessively and persistently high unemployment--will continue through the 1980s. The existence of a persistent job shortage, resulting in a labor surplus of four to six million unemployed workers without a constructive economic…

This paper briefly examines three publications that lay out strategies for U.S. economic competitiveness in the future: the U.S. Department of Education's report "America 2000: An Education Strategy," in response to the President's message of April 1991; the report of the Secretary of Labor's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills…

Work and adjustment to work are vital components of a smoothly functioning society. Currently, a growing imbalance between the collective level of educational attainment of American workers and the skill/knowledge requirements of existing jobs has created the potential for widespread social and economic problems in this country. Overeducation…

A Labor Department task force examined issues relating to the United States' maturing labor force and outlines policy alternatives to address those issues. Major findings were summarized in three categories: (1) in tomorrow's work force, the median age of workers will be higher; older people will be healthier, live longer, and be available for…

The population of the United States is aging and will age even more rapidly in the coming years. Yet our public and private retirement and benefits policies continue to favor early retirement--in spite of clear demographic trends, in spite of legislation raising the mandatory retirement age from 65 to 70, in spite of the fact that many of our…

Research synthesized from three studies of the Finnish labor market indicates that a rapidly changing working life in Finland (and the rest of Europe) sets many different challenges for the workforce. In Finland, the population is even more aged than in the other European Union (EU) member states, and the transition of older workers to retirement…