Since 1997, the key trend in work has been the widening gap between good jobs and bad jobs. CONFINTEA took place in the middle of an international boom in high-tech development, with attendant optimism around creation of a "knowledge economy". While the subsequent crash of this sector is no doubt temporary, it draws attention to the…

Describes emerging employment markets in the United Kingdom that require information skills, and examines the reasons why librarians and information workers have had little impact on these markets. The need for practical competencies, as well as formal qualifications, is cited as a major reason for this trend. (3 references) (CLB)

Changes in women's attainment of higher education during the 1970s have been dramatic. This paper documents trends toward women acquiring a higher proportion of degrees at all levels and moving into traditionally male fields of study. In 1980, females were awarded nearly half of all baccalaureate and master's degrees, slightly less than one-third…

A survey of postwar recessions shows that the increasing proportion of service sector jobs has moderated overall employment declines and that women in nontraditional jobs, Blacks, and youths bear a disproportionate share of job losses. (LRA)

Changes in the percentage of women graduating from six male-intensive professions during 1960-1980 were analyzed, and the opinions of professional school deans about the causes of these changes were surveyed. The professions were medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, law, engineering, and architecture. Data were obtained from the National…

Analysis of employment and higher education patterns among women in Britain, Germany, and Sweden found discipline is the major factor influencing labor market entry, with most women preparing for traditionally female occupations and following financially less rewarding careers. While women in nontraditional occupations begin with an economic…

The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) conducted a trend analysis of students from four designated groups--Aboriginal, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and women in predominantly male occupations. These students were compared to the overall student population on four success measures: access to…

The question of whether recent changes in the labor market will likely have an adverse effect on people's expectations of work and their willingness to participate in the labor process was examined in a study of the impact of mass unemployment on expectations of work and productivity. Data regarding employment/unemployment and productivity in the…

This book consists of the personal narratives of 14 women who discussed their experiences as construction workers in interviews that were conducted between November 1991 and April 1994. The information provided by the women is organized thematically, beginning with their decision to enter the construction industry. Special attention is paid to the…

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…

Since the 1970s, federal legislation and public and private sector initiatives have attempted to increase the numbers of women employed in occupations considered nontraditional for females. In 1998, women accounted for 20-25% of employees in a handful of nontraditional occupations (NTOs) but less than 10% of employees in many other NTOs. Secondary…

The literature on sex segregation in the workplace was reviewed to determine how it could be used in formulating policy in the area of sex fairness in the American labor market. The committee found that although women's occupational options have increased dramatically in the past decade, sex segregation is still widespread. Among those factors…

Although commitment to equal opportunities in employment has been a major component of European Community legislation and although increasing numbers of European women are entering professions, women throughout Europe still face many barriers to advancing in their professions. Since the early 1970s, European governments including Finland have…

The extent of sex segregation in vocational and technical education (VTE) in U.S. high schools nearly 30 years after passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was examined in a national study. The key findings were as follows: (1) sex segregation is pervasive in high school-level VTE nationwide; (2) sex segregation results in…

This document reports on barriers to the advancement of minority men and all women into decision-making positions in the private sector that were identified through a study of information from the following sources: 126 employers and employees testifying at public hearings in 5 U.S. cities; 18 commissioned research papers; survey of a sample of 25…