The labor force is the number of people ages 16 or older who are either working or looking for work. It does not include active-duty military personnel or the institutionalized population, such as prison inmates. Determining the size of the labor force is a way of determining how big the economy can get. The size of the labor force depends on two…

The labor force is the number of people aged 16 or older who are either working or looking for work. It does not include active-duty military personnel or institutionalized people, such as prison inmates. Quantifying this total supply of labor is a way of determining how big the economy can get. Labor force participation rates vary significantly…

To establish a framework within which occupations can be compared, this article details four occupational characteristics: size, growth rate, average earnings, and susceptibility to unemployment. This information is presented for 177 occupations which account for half of total employment. (SK)

There are many uncertainties about the magnitude and nature of labor shortages. Data needed to identify and quantify shortages are not available from national statistical offices so most of what is known comes from employer reports. (JOW)

Defines a labor shortage, examines evidence of a current engineer shortage and of an adequate supply and the assumptions that lead to a projected shortage. (SK)

Job-Flo, a monthly report by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor, includes only occupations for which high demand exists in Job Banks (1,000 or more total monthly vacancies). A listing of Job Bank districts which report on frequently listed openings is included. (EA)

A recent Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis indicates that the job market for college graduates during the 1980s is expected to be similar to the highly competitive market that characterized the 1970s, due to the supply of college graduates, the college labor market of the 1970s, and occupational demand in the 1980s. (CT)

Explores challenges that Ph.D. candidates face from earning the degree to seeking employment. Describes the process of obtaining a doctoral degree, looks at the supply of Ph.D. graduates in the labor force, and tracks the demand for them in both academic and nonacademic jobs. (JOW)

The Alaskan oil pipeline is the lure currently attracting Americans toAlaska; actually, job prospects are bleak--most jobs will be filled by permanent residents of Alaska, where the unemployment rate is very high. Jobs which cannot be filled by Alaskans will be filled from labor union sources. (AJ)

This article summarizes the employment outlook in 225 occupations as projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It provides thumbnail sketches of employment data for each of the occupations in the 1988-89 "Occupational Outlook Handbook," on which it is based. Each entry presents the occupation's title, 1986 employment numbers, the percent change…

Assessments of the 1972-85 occupational outlook reveal a rather sharp slowdown in employment growth during the latter half of the period. Jobs for salesworkers, managers and administrators, and operatives will be affected most. (Author)

Discusses the demand for temporary workers in managerial, professional, and technical occupations in the financial, health care, telecommunications, and information technology industries. (JOW)

Includes three articles: "More College Graduates May Be Chasing Fewer Jobs" (Shelley); "College Graduates: Do We Have Too Many or Too Few?" (Hecker); and "College Earnings and Why They Vary" (Hecker). (SK)