Research data show that a broad spectrum of changes is needed if education in Russia is to provide the kind of labor force that is required for economic development.

Four telling facts about jobs and wages for young Americans, as explained in this policy brief, suggest a labor market recovery is coming, although it will be gradual and uneven by educational attainment. Young Americans with a postsecondary degree are more likely to be employed, but the nature of their employment suggests they are taking…

This paper presents the results of an empirical investigation trying to explain individual time-to-degree variances with business cycle fluctuations. Assuming that students determine the optimum study length at university weighing up the cost of an additional semester against the consumption benefit of studying and not yet working, the general…

The authors of this report analyzed the most recent data to illustrate the impact of literacy skills on both the micro- and macro-economic levels. The report explores whether there is a case to be made for direct links between literacy skill and income level. Data relating to the ability to get a job, job retention and promotion, risk of job loss,…

If Australian universities are to be competitive in the global market for college faculty, salaries and career prospects across disciplines and institutions must be improved. Award restructuring will strengthen career structures, but this restructuring must not be limited to lower levels of the profession to be effective. (MSE)

A reporter returned to his undergraduate institution, the University of Pennsylvania, to learn why tuition has risen so much in recent decades, and how the university spends the income. The complexity of administering the university enterprise is highlighted, and some perceived inequities are identified. Topics discussed include endowment funds,…

A survey of college faculty revealed that the Tax Reform Act of 1986, designed to make taxes simpler and more equitable, has increased the taxes of over half the respondents and decreased the tax liability of only 9%. Results also suggest that faculty bear a significant portion of the expenses associated with their profession. (MSE)

Embraces a pragmatic view of education as first articulated by John Dewey and Jane Addams. Argues that community colleges should steer away from excessive specialization and provide a more general skills education directed toward preparing students to compete in the global economy. Contains two figures, two data tables and 13 references. (JDI)

Problems of personnel evaluation and gender bias are discussed as they relate to the current restructuring of Australian college and university salaries. Areas of evaluation seen as needing some improvement include the job analysis, standards for job equivalence, information gathering, writing of job descriptions, evaluation, and postevaluation…

An analysis of the economic returns of education in Australia finds a rising need for education at a time of diminishing apparent returns. It is proposed that the notions of credentialism and education as a positional good provide a better explanation for this phenomenon than does the human capital approach. (MSE)

Despite politicians' claims to the contrary, public schools are not holding back the economy, and most future jobs will require only modest skill growth. Economists attribute today's economic growth not to improved schools, but to greater efficiency, downward price pressure, and experimentation with lower interest rates. (MLH)

Potential changes in the role of the Australian Higher Education Industrial Association, the employer association representing colleges and universities, resulting from recent introduction of collective bargaining for faculty are seen as only modest for the foreseeable future, with decentralization a gradual process. (MSE)

California's loss of capital gains and stock options revenue during the recent economic downturn was one of the worst in the nation, and the resulting fiscal crisis led to reductions in State appropriations to the University of 15% over the past four years, while enrollments grew by 19%. This article examines the effects of this reduction in State…

Educational economics and finance is a complex issue that the author has approached from three different areas: (1) a review of recent literature, (2) the state of the art of financing education, and (3) the state of research on the economics and financing of education. The author points to a revolution in education finance in Canada. The…

The current situation regarding training Massachusetts' workers for the new economy was reviewed. Special attention was paid to the following topics: Massachusetts and the skill-centered economy; opportunities for workforce system reform; skills demanded in the new economy; ways other states are building workers' skills; and the fragile setting…