THE MANPOWER RESEARCH COUNCIL, A NONPROFIT SERVICE ORGANIZATION, HAS AS ITS OBJECTIVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERCHANGE AMONG THE MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES OF INFORMATION ON EMPLOYMENT, INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS TRENDS AND ACTIVITIES, AND MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS. A SURVEY OF 200 MEMBER CORPORATIONS, EMPLOYING A TOTAL OF 824,772 PEOPLE SHOWED THE EFFECTS OF AUTOMATION ON EMPLOYMENT. FINDINGS WERE--(1) 43 PERCENT BELIEVE THAT AUTOMATION WILL INCREASE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF JOBS WITHIN THE NEXT 5 YEARS, 28 PERCENT FEEL IT WILL DECREASE THE NUMBER OF JOBS, AND 29 PERCENT FEEL THE NUMBER OF JOBS WILL REMAIN ABOUT THE SAME, (2) 75 PERCENT INDICATED THAT AUTOMATION HAS ADDED NEW JOBS IN THEIR COMPANY IN THE LAST YEAR, AND (3) 28 PERCENT INDICATED THAT THEY ARE PRESENTLY SHORT OF PERSONNEL IN JOB CATEGORIES SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO AUTOMATION. MAJOR AREAS IN WHICH AUTOMATION WAS INTRODUCED OR EXTENDED DURING THE PAST YEAR WERE ACCOUNTING, PAYROLL, RECORD KEEPING, SALES ANALYSIS, AND MATERIAL HANDLING. THE EFFECT OF AUTOMATION ON EMPLOYEES WAS MINIMIZED BY NORMAL ATTRITION AND TRAINING DISPLACED EMPLOYEES FOR NEW JOBS. (PS)