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…

Reanalysis of a standard set of data for 16 nations has brought new insights into the leading issues of comparative social mobility. The reanalysis provides considerable support for the Featherman-Jones-Hauser hypothesis, which claims that there is convergence in mobility processes once conditions of occupational supply and demand are controlled.…

Clerks, salespersons, plant and machine operators and laborers, and related workers, defined as operative workers, currently form more than half the work force. They share the following characteristics: comparatively low earnings, limited qualifications, often employed in industries subject to economic restructuring and sensitive to economic…

In Norway, there has been a change from net out-migration from rural areas to net in-migration since about 1970; however, this apparent change is a manifestation of changes in occupational patterns and characteristics of certain age groups. The rise in technical and professional occupations has been dramatic, and a particularly high proportion of…

A study examined experiences of early leavers in the United States (US) and Australia in the first two years beyond high school. Data were from these comparable longitudinal surveys: US data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988; Australian data from the 1975 cohort of the Youth in Transition surveys. Findings indicated similar…

The patterns, extent, and problems of working at home in the United Kingdom were examined through a multivariate analysis of data from the Labour Force Survey, which has questioned respondents about the location of their workplace since 1992. The numbers of people working "mainly" at home increased from 345,920 (1.5%) in 1981 to 680,612…

A study examined the supply and demand for skilled workers in the following sectors throughout the member countries of the European Community: agriculture (including horticulture and forestry); food industry and trades; hotels, restaurants, and catering industry; tourism; transport; textile industry; textile clothing; leather; wood; building…

This paper examines trends in occupational mismatch in the metal, building, vehicle, and electrical trades and questions whether the process of award restructuring that began in the late 1980s has created incentives for unskilled blue collar workers to pursue skill-based career paths in the trades. Chapter 1 discusses the paper's aim and history…

The patterns of manual and clerical workers' access to learning opportunities in the workplace in the United Kingdom were examined through case studies of three local authorities and three National Health Service trusts and a survey examining their employees' learning experiences. The workers occupying the lowest- grade jobs at the study…

This book, which is intended primarily for Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector, industry decision makers, and policymakers, provides an overview of occupational trends and the current training effort relating to occupations in Australian industry. Chapter 1 traces economic and labor market changes and the changing…

This volume on apprenticeships in Australia summarizes 11 research studies. After an "Introduction" (Nigel Smart), the reports are: "Apprenticeship in Australia: A Concise History" (John Ray); "Issues and Directions from the Australian Apprenticeship and Traineeship Literature" (Stephen Saunders); "Determinants…

This document, which contains information relevant to individuals planning their careers, employers, human resource planners, and training institutions, examines the skill needs of the South African labor market in 1998-2003. The preface presents a brief overview of the factors that have contributed to the high levels of unemployment and patterns…