A survey of 248 businesses in 7 states reporting layoffs in 1985 was taken to gather information on worker dislocation and advance notice. About two-thirds of layoffs occurred without workers receiving advance general notice. Results conflicted somewhat with those of other studies. (CH)

Trends in employment, occupations, output, and input provide evidence that firms increased their use of contract and contingent labor. Further research is needed to explore the causal factors behind the shift toward market-mediated work arrangements. (JOW)

The Redundancy Payments Act of 1965 established the idea that an employee has property rights to a job based on years of company service. It instituted an entitlement program for displaced workers sponsored by firms and the government. The British layoff situtation differs from that of the United States. (Author/CH)

A review of 17 studies of high-performance work systems concludes that benefits of employee involvement, skill training, and other high-performance work practices tend to be greater when new methods are adopted as part of a consistent whole. (Author)

About half of all private sector workers are employed in small businesses with fewer than 100 workers. Work hours, compensation, and other working conditions differ between these employees and their counterparts in larger establishments. (Author)

Unemployment among engineers, considered a short-term problem, affects most severely the youngest, oldest, and those with least experience and education. (Editor)

Preview of nationwide survey presents preliminary findings on workers' attitudes toward labor standards problems and job satisfaction. (Editor)

The new direction in employee participation, workplace technology, and labor force characteristics may be reviving practices that failed to flourish in the past. Theoretical and historical perspectives provide a context for the effective use of high performance workplace practices. (JOW)

Computations using data from the Current Population Survey show that the separation rate of women is the same as or lower than that of men when wage rates are taken into account. For Blacks, the separation rate is lower than that for Whites, regardless of sex. (Author)

The 1993 Survey of Employer-Provided Training reveals that larger establishments are far more likely than smaller ones to provide formal training to their employees, as are establishments that offer certain benefits or employ certain workplace practices. (Author)

Identifies major subjects of state labor legislation in 1998: increases in minimum-wage rates, prevailing wage changes, child-labor revisions, workplace surveillance regulations, and bans on employment discrimination. Offers a state-by-state summary of labor legislation. (JOW)

A rebuttal to Beatrice G. Ruebens' article in the September 1973 issue of the journal. (AG)

A historical look at labor conditions 200 years ago focuses on the employment practices utilized by the colonialists to meet their labor needs. These practices included bound labor and slavery. (EC)

Compares early retirement and disability policies in 17 European and North American countries. Considers early retirement policy as a possible solution to high unemployment. (CH)

Japan uses a variety of training approaches to develop skilled labor force, as commitment to traditional lifetime employment system appears to be waning. (Editor)