Analysis of Displaced Workers Surveys suggests that between 1983-97, the likelihood of job loss declined among most age groups but rose for middle-aged/older workers relative to younger workers. Changes in educational attainment and industry shifts were contributing factors. Probability of displacement increased significantly for service workers.…

In this article the five career narratives of three siblings and two unemployed men are drawn upon to critically examine the use of contemporary career discourse as a means to negotiate changes to work since the 1980s and to the present time. A critical analysis enables contemporary career discourse and workplace change to be located within the…

Describes the state of economic, political, and social crisis in Zambia and the response of the labor movement and workers' education programs. (SK)

The author defines productivity and discusses ways to increase productivity in the workplace, with emphasis on human resource development (HRD). He discusses the use of quality circles, participative management, and layoffs to increase productivity. (CH)

Early in Spring 2001, in the midst of an economic downturn, employers were sometimes forced into rescinding job offers to graduating college students or delaying their start dates. In light of this trend, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles for Professional Conduct Committee has issued guidelines for employers on…

Explanations for persistent youth unemployment (deficits in the unemployed, structural need for unemployment, location of decision-making power) lead to education of youth at risk as a solution, an old paradigm inadequate for the restructured labor market. New questions must be asked, such as separating income from waged labor and finding other…

Although conventional wisdom indicates that temporary workers are becoming the norm and full-time workers are becoming an anachronism, statistics do not bear this position out. The truth includes the following facts: (1) companies are using more temporary workers, but these new employment arrangements provide new entry points into the labor market…

In five Great Plains states, more counties have fewer than six persons per square mile (once a definition of "frontier") than in 1920. Forces of nature and technology have produced fewer farms, resulting in fewer residents and loss of local businesses and schools. Carrington, North Dakota, worked hard to attract a pasta plant, but it may…

During structural adjustment, training/retraining for unemployed persons is often poorly conceived. One reason is the lack of reliable ways to predict future skill requirements. Retraining should be kept fairly general to enable a wide range of potential jobs. (SK)

A study examined and evaluated both public and private efforts to assist dislocated farmers, with particular emphasis on employment and training programs. The study found that about 46,000 farmers are currently leaving farming each year, and the rate probably will continue for the next several years. Since the majority of the farmers who leave…

Reports on the Third National Conference of African American Librarians held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, July 31-August 3, 1997. Discusses affirmative action; traditionally black colleges; the recruitment of African Americans to librarianship; equitable job opportunities; children; loss of jobs to technology; authors and other notables; and…

Technology in the workplace can raise productivity, but often the cost is deskilled jobs or unemployment for both blue- and white-collar workers. Vocational education must adjust curriculum, instruction, and research to understand how work is changing and how best to prepare workers. (SK)

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) was passed in 1987 to provide advance notice to workers whose jobs are to be eliminated because of plant closings and relocations. A study examined the extent to which advance notice eases the adjustment problems associated with permanent loss of jobs. Data from the Displaced Worker…

Between 1981 and 1986, the U.S. manufacturing sector lost 1.2 million jobs. There is little regional variation in rates of plant closure, nor is there any correlation between cross-regional rates of industry growth and regional rates of plant closures. However, regional variation in rates of employment gains due to start-ups can be large and is…

This monograph provides empirical evidence of the effects of advance notice. Chapter 1 summarizes theoretical arguments for and against plant closing legislation and the evidence of the extent to which advance notice currently is provided to displaced workers in the United States. Chapter 2 presents a summary of prior empirical research on the…