In this paper we estimate the impacts of the "pathways" chosen by community college students--in terms of desired credentials and fields of study, as well as other choices and outcomes along the paths--on the attainment of credentials with labor market value. We focus on the extent to which there are recorded changes in students' choices…

In this paper we will briefly review recent trends in employment outcomes for disadvantaged youth, focusing specifically on those who have become "disconnected" from school and the labor market, and why these trends have occurred. We then review a range of policy prescriptions that might improve those outcomes. These policies include: 1)…

This article presents an empirical analysis of self-reported reservation wages for unemployed young Black and White males. Results show that young Blacks seek wages that are comparable to those of young Whites in absolute terms but that are higher relative to what is available on the demand side of the market. (Author/CT)

According to data from 67% of a sample of 800 employers in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, and Los Angeles, skill demands are associated with lower employment of blacks and higher employment of women. Most skill requirements had significant effects on hourly wages, accounting for some of the wage differences between black and white men. (SK)

This paper presents data showing that unions have a very substantial effect on the wages of young union workers, particularly young Blacks, but that they also have a negative effect on the wages of young Blacks who are not unionized. (Author/CT)

Analysis of data from the New Youth Cohort of the National Longitudinal Survey yields evidence that young unemployed job seekers chose higher levels of search effort (used more job search methods and spent more time) and lower reservation wages than did comparable employed job seekers in 1981. (Author/CH)

This paper examines trends in the employment rates of young black men, and other groups of young people, during 1979-2000. Data from the Current Population Survey's Outgoing Rotation Groups are used to estimate these trends and their determinants. The data are pooled and analyzed for differences across individuals and metropolitan areas and for…

A study analyzed the extent to which escape from or entry into low-wage status among adult workers is associated with changes in employers and their characteristics. The research used a database that consisted of quarterly establishment records of the employment earnings of almost all individuals (11,207,031) who worked in Illinois from the first…