In the U.S. work force, job mobility has become the standard employment pattern. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10% of the work force switches jobs every year. Among the factors contributing to the career mobility of today's workers are the following: search for competitive employment positions; pursuit of a good career match; desire…

There is a widely shared belief that Asian Americans have overcome the bondage of racial discrimination to become a successful model minority. In this essay, the empirical basis of this success contention is examined against its historical background and the remifications of the belief are explored. First, the ascendance of the Asian American…

The world of stable, long-term employment is coming to an end. Part-time, contingent, and contract workers now account for more than 35% of the U.S. work force. It has been suggested that individuals will become "portfolio workers" with "portfolio careers." Individuals will maintain portfolios of their skills, abilities, and achievements and will…

With North American women joining the work force in record numbers, the effect of employment on women's well-being is gaining attention. This digest examines various stressors affecting women in the work world and some actions companies can take to alleviate these stressors. While some studies show that work has detrimental effects on some…

Although persistent career change is generally seen as a negative, today's economic reality may force counselors to look differently at clients who move from job to job. This digest summarizes a 3-year study of career drifters and discusses the significance of this study for career counseling. Research identified drifters as individuals who…

The linear career path that once kept people working in the same job is not the standard career route for today's workers. Instead, many workers are now pursuing varied career paths that reflect sequential career changes. Although job mobility no longer carries the stigma once associated with job change, it can still be emotionally stressful. Job…

A collection of 47 articles, this monograph addresses critical needs and promising practices in career development. The articles, written both by leaders and new comers in career development, offer extensive scholarship and new perspectives. The volume is divided into six sections: (1) Foundations Revisited; (2) Turbulence in Career Development:…

In July 1991, 20 superintendents, who are members of the Urban Superintendents' Network, a coalition of educational leaders sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), participated in a special panel presentation and roundtable discussion entitled "Turnover in the Urban Superintendency:…

Although employment can be an exciting challenge, it can also induce stress. This digest examines some of the characteristics of job-related stress. Three concepts characterize the association of work, mental health, and physical health. (1) Stress is an interaction between individuals and any source of environmental demand. (2) A stressor is an…

This compilation of four papers examines past and current retirement policies for the elderly and the implications of these policies for labor supply job choice, and educational planning for the elderly. The first paper, by Jennifer Warlick, presents a review of past federal policies on retirement and a discussion of proposed policy changes.…

Changes in the world economy such as globalization, free trade in services, and unequal demand for some occupations have resulted in increased cross-national movement of workers and emphasized the need for easily transferable or international qualifications. Leading the effort to address the issue of transferable qualifications is the European…

Although evidence for the existence of multiple careers is limited, the literature of career development, training, and human resource development has predicted that individuals will have many careers as well as jobs across the lifespan, and small-scale studies and trend analysis suggest that individuals may need to plan and prepare for different…

An enormous body of literature illuminates various facets of the relationship between education and employment. Views of the proper role of education have ranged from cultural transmission to societal transformation and individual development, to the current belief that it prepares for transition to adulthood, i.e., the movement from school to…

Is the positive potential of globalization being realized? Are transnational careers becoming a reality? What effects are uncertainty and continuous change having on career development? There is evidence that a growing number of companies are exporting both blue- and white-collar jobs overseas, although some contend that it is new technologies…

Various economic, technology-related, and other factors have converged to serve as a catalyst for the emergence of workers who consider themselves free agents. Estimates of the number of free agent workers range from 12.9 to 25 million. Individual free agent workers may take widely varying approaches to their careers; however, all have taken…