The U.S. economy is undergoing a transition that may rival the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution. The general directions are clear: an ever smaller share of the nation's work force is employed in the manufacturing sector; service sector industries are the source of most new jobs; and some "high tech" industries have had explosive…

The authors discuss how training managers can deal with functional illiteracy among their worksite students. Recommendations include (1) understand the reading process, (2) use directed reading activity, (3) determine reading level of materials and trainees, and (4) investigate alternative materials. (CH)

Describes and assesses major trends in the labor market fortunes of key teenage subgroups in the U.S. during the 1980s. The need for a national policy response to the problem of pervasive joblessness among poor youth is greater in 1986 than at the beginning of this decade. (LHW)

Describes the methods used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to make occupational and economic projections and presents highlights of the forecast for 1995. (SK)

Stresses the importance of including the history and role of organized labor in the United States as part of the regular school curriculum and describes reemerging interest in labor studies in American elementary and secondary schools. (GC)

The average retirement age for men shifted from 70 in 1950 to 65 in 1970 to 62 in 1985. Whether the trend toward early retirement has ended depends on interpretation of changes in the last 2 decades, including elimination of mandatory retirement, modifications in social security and pension plans, and increased longevity. (Contains 18 references.)…

The author addresses definitional problems encountered when studying women's retirement, their decisions to retire, and their adaptations to retirement. She states that the issue of women's retirement should be examined in light of current knowledge about men's retirement while acknowledging the variability of older women's work histories. (CH)

Reviews labor contracts renegotiated during 1988, placing emphasis on labor-management relations. Provides information on negotiations in the following industries: (1) trucking, (2) air transportation, (3) automobile manufacturing, (4) steel and other metals, (5) rubber, (6) bituminous coal, (7) forest products, and (8) shipbuilding. Covers…

A Nation at Risk (NAR; National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983) had a tremendous impact on what schools do and has since spawned other reforms that attest to the report's ongoing influence. Coming in the wake of a decade of economic stagnation and import pressures from overseas producers, the authors of NAR blamed these problems on…

Until recent years, many women worked to supplement the family income. The number of female heads of households is growing; increasingly, many women are becoming the sole source of family income. Families of married women are becoming more and more dependent on the "second" income. Women are struggling to move into the high-paying jobs…

Refutes seven myths that keep employers from welcoming disabled persons into the workplace. Myths include higher turnover, lower productivity, greater safety risk, higher cost, more demanding, embarrassment, and incompatibility. Makes recommendations for managers. (CH)

In the face of a culturally changing work force, there is a need to retrain managers to supervise, develop, and retain workers from different cultural backgrounds. Retraining should include information on (1) stereotypes and assumptions, (2) unwritten rules, (3) membership, and (4) cultural differences. (CH)

The proportion of graduates of the high school class of 1985 who enrolled in college set a record. Graduates who did not attend college were typically in the labor force, and their unemployment rate was 11 percentage points lower than the 36 percent rate recorded for those who dropped out of high school and entered the labor force. (CT)

The authors discuss current trends in technology, international trade, and demographics as these relate to the workplace. They also predict probable futures related to these topics and provide implications for educators. (CH)

Discusses changes that might take place as a result of regularizing the status of undocumented workers without changing the total size of the alien workforce. Suggests that the influence of legal status on market wage rates and minimum wage enforcement is weak and that the presence of undocumented (versus resident) aliens can weaken union…