The role of women in the work force and the wages paid to women workers have become major employment discrimination issues of the 1980's. Comparable worth, wage discrimination, and the existence and possible influence of sex-related factors in wage administration systems, which include formalized job evaluation schemes, are discussed. (MLW)

The 1969-1971 National Longitudinal Surveys data on young men were used to study the employed worker's choice among employed search, unemployed search, and not searching for a new job. The principal results are that current wages, seniority, collective bargaining coverage, employment outside construction, and employment by government are each…

A contextual analysis of individual labor earnings as a function of both background/investment variables and specific dimensions of areal labor market social and economic organization suggests specific factors which influence Black and White earning levels. (Author/EB)

Using data from the 1985 Buenos Aires (Argentina) Household Survey of 4,500 employed individuals, earnings differences are explained by a set of individual human capital characteristics. Returns to education investments are then estimated for different levels and types of schooling. Secondary and higher education investments need to be retargeted.…

Despite rapid growth of educational enrollments in response to labor market demands for educated workers, there remains a shortage of full-time jobs and a gap between real wage growth and changing educational quality of the workforce. It is possible that a better educated workforce can make only limited contributions to economic growth or that…

Employers often use education and other ability measures as indicators of unmeasured ability dimensions. This paper presents tests of signaling, relying on differences in earnings functions for salaried individuals in screened occupations versus self-employed individuals in unscreened positions. Vocational associate degrees and high school grades…

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey Youth Cohort, estimates probability of drug use (illicit drugs, hard drugs, and marijuana only) across racial groups in relation to formal educational attainment. Adolescent drug use (in all three categories) reduces their educational attainment by about 1 year. (Contains 21 references.) (MLH)

Considers the variation in wage differentials by educational attainment level in Japan. Although Japanese wage structure is moving in a comparatively steady manner, the wage differential between college and junior college graduates among male workers has become wider since 1976. This phenomenon is explained mainly by changes in labor supply. (MLH)

In this paper we evaluate the labour market value of basic skills in the UK, focusing on the wage and employment returns to having better literacy and numeracy skills. We draw on literacy and numeracy assessments undertaken by all cohort members of the UK 1970 British Cohort Study. The data used are very rich and allow us to account for potential…

During the early Nineties the proportion of UK graduates doubled over a very short period of time. This paper investigates the effect of the expansion on early labour market attainment, focusing on over-education. We define over-education by combining occupation codes and a self-reported measure for the appropriateness of the match between…

This brief summary report provides data on differences in starting salaries of college graduates and the related changing demands of the labor market. The report notes that: (1) between 1977 and 1993 computer sciences and engineering graduates had much higher starting salaries than graduates in all other fields of study; (2) while starting…

Three determinants of black male relative earnings are examined: relative educational position, industrial distribution of employment, and labor market discrimination. Overall improvement in the relative position of black men has been noted, but large racial disparities persist. (MW)

A study was conducted to describe the segments of the U.S. labor force that have been affected by the recent deterioration in U.S. trade. The methodology involved computer modeling of the effects of eliminating the 1987 merchandise trade deficit on employment by detailed industry and occupation, by geographic region, and by wage group. This was…

The High School and Beyond (HS&B) Local Labor Market Indicators machine-readable data file (MRDF) provides various measures of the conditions of the local labor market in the geographic areas in which the 1,015 HS&B sample high schools are located. The data are presented in such a way as not to reveal the identities of the participating…