Panama has achieved socio-economic improvements in recent decades thanks to strong economic growth and consequent poverty reduction. Its growth model is characterised by a dual economy in which a small number of activities, including those related to the Canal and Special Economic Zones, have exhibited high productivity growth but limited job…

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…

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…

The Great Recession left a crater in the labor market that has been devastating for unemployed Americans of all ages. After more than two years of unemployment at well over 8%, there is a hole of more than 11 million jobs, with average spells of unemployment lasting nearly nine months. The weak labor market has been particularly tough on young…

The Boston metropolitan area is recognized by many for its concentration of prestigious private colleges and universities. The metropolitan area is home to over 80 private colleges and universities employing 68,600 people and attracting over 360,000 students from all over the world. This report uses employment and wage data from the Bureau of…

Shows how job growth slowed dramatically in 1995, but the unemployment rate remained little changed. Discusses trends in nonfarm payroll employment by industry and changes in employment status of people in various demographic and occupational groups. (Author)

From 1992-2000, high employment and wage growth occurred together with low unemployment in a number of U.S. Rust Belt metropolitan areas. Localities with these characteristics had larger and younger companies in environments with high rates of both job creation and job destruction. (Contains 24 references.) (Author)

Summarizes the findings and methodology of some of the recent innovative labor market studies in the private sector. Emphasis is placed on the micro-data study of the job creation process at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Similar studies at the University of California at Berkeley and at the Brookings Institution are also summarized. (CT)

For more than a decade, the United States has produced more new jobs than most other industrialized nations--nearly 20 million new jobs during 1973-1984. However, none of the aggregate numbers reveals anything about the types of jobs created or how much they pay. The following facts are pertinent: (1) compared to the period 1973-1979, the net new…

Includes "Role of Computers in Reshaping the Work Force" (McConnell); "Semiconductors" (Moris); "Computer Manufacturing" (Warnke); "Commercial Banking Transformed by Computer Technology" (Morisi); "Software, Engineering Industries: Threatened by Technological Change?" (Goodman); "Job Creation…

Although nearly 14 million jobs have been added to the economy since 1979, there is strong evidence that job expansion has been purchased at the price of lower wages. A number of studies have confirmed this downside to job creation, the most prominent being a 1986 study by Bluestone and Harrison for the Joint Economic Committee. A recent study…

This document presents the following monthly statistical data for the population of United States: (1) employment status; (2) characteristics of the unemployed; (3) characteristics of the employed and their job categories; (4) seasonally adjusted employment and unemployment; (5) national employment; (6) employment in states and areas; (7) national…

The concept of full employment must relate government policy to the following: (1) improved quality of life; (2) private-public relations; and (3) the data needed for accountable decision making. Seven elements are suggested which will lay the groundwork for change. Historical government action on full employment is reviewed. (PS)

Both Germany and Great Britain have recently experienced increases in unemployment. Both countries have developed substantial labor market programs. Germany offers full-time adult training and retraining courses for employed and unemployed persons. Great Britain has a system of youth training but, until recently, has done little for adults. It has…

Important changes are taking place in the U.S. labor market. The economy has performed solidly over the last several years; the labor market has experienced robust job growth. A strong labor market benefits different segments of the population. Unemployment rates for those with less than a high school diploma fell by the largest amount between…