This study analyzed the extent to which differences in graduate employment can be explained by differences in where the graduates studied. In Europe and Japan there seem to be large cross-country and field differences in the importance, in terms of graduate employment, of the institution where the graduate studied. The study attempted to explain…

The authors analyze labor market flexibility and adjustment capabilities of Japan and the United States. They examine the job shift to services and trends in wages, productivity, and exchange rates to judge the international competitive position of each country. (CH)

Japan's employment model has been that of "lifetime employment," especially for male college-educated workers. Under such a system, an individual becomes employed by a firm upon graduation and remains in its employ until retirement. (Author/SSH)

Is the United States getting it wrong when it comes to educating tomorrow's innovators in critical fields? It has been known for years that the only way to compete globally in information technology, engineering, nanotechnology, robotics and other fields is to give students the best educational opportunities possible. But do individuals have a…

This paper explores the impact of policies and institutions on employment and unemployment of OECD countries in the past decades. Reduced-form unemployment equations, consistent with standard wage setting/price-setting models, are estimated using cross-country/time-series data from 21 OECD countries over the period 1982-2003. In the…

Japanese firms are reducing work force size and costs without layoffs. However, these restructurings appear to be symbolic rather than substantial. They seem intended to signal the need for corporate culture change and diminished expectations. (SK)

Demographic trends show that areas such as Kentucky, Japan, and Sweden are experiencing very limited labor force growth and heavier reliance on older workers as the younger population declines. Implications of an aging work force for policy involve pensions, health benefits, retraining, flexible work options, and income support programs. (SK)

This document contains two essays: "Toward a High-Wage, High-Productivity Service Sector" by Lester Thurow; and "Service Sector Wages, Productivity and Job Creation in the U.S. and Other Countries" by Louise Waldstein. The first essay analyzes the recent and currrent U.S. economy under headings called Growth Nodes, Falling…

The paternalistic industrial system is not likely to be discarded soon; in today's fast-moving economy, it affords cost flexibility and employment security. (Editor)

Although Japan is known to have the earliest mandatory retirement age (age 55) among the industrialized nations, the majority of workers continue to work beyond that age. Two systems allow those retired from their career jobs to continue to work: the reemployment system and the extension-of-employment system. (Author)

Changes in occupational structure, demographics, and social values are affecting the career development of young workers, reentry women, and older adults in Japan. Counseling must adjust to meet new needs, such as increased high school dropout and joblessness. (SK)

This document presents statistical data from the countries of France, Finland, the Netherlands, Japan, Italy, and Norway regarding the flows of graduates from higher education and their entry into the workforce. Among the statistical data presented are the trends and current situation in each country for such areas as college enrollments and…

Despite advanced industrialization, Japanese women are subjected to occupational inequality by businesses that place them on a career track separate from men in terms of wages, promotion, and retirement and by a cultural environment that fosters the values of motherhood and stresses female authority only in domestic situations. (WI)

The Japanese theory of participatory management is seen as thriving on American campuses under the rubrics of shared governance and collegiality. Participatory management, quality control circles, lifetime employment, superordinate goals, and interdependent leadership are discussed. More commerce between academic administrators and corporate…