Engineering programs are commonly supported by higher education policy and planning initiatives on the grounds of a supposed saturation of the labor market by other types of educational programs. However, labor market saturation is dependent on the economic characteristics and the sociocultural capital of specific locations. The aims of this study…

This paper reports that between 2008 and 2009, unemployment rates across OECD countries increased among people at all educational levels, but rose to especially troubling heights among people without an upper secondary education. In 2009, the average employment rate across OECD countries was much higher for individuals with a tertiary (i.e.…

This report introduces a quantitative index that measures the degree of similarity between native- and foreign-born adults in the United States: the ability to distinguish the latter group from the former is defined as "assimilation." The Index of Immigrant Assimilation relies on Census Bureau data available in some form since 1900 and…

The positive impact of education on earnings, wages, and economic growth is well documented; however, the issue of education-occupation matching in developing countries has been largely ignored. Since workers' levels of schooling and their occupations' required level of education both affect wages, policymakers may find it useful to note if such…

A study examined determinants of wages and productivity in Mexico from 1993 and 1999 using two national surveys. In 1993, 7,619 employees from 575 firms were interviewed. In 1999, 6,259 employees from 722 firms were interviewed. Findings indicate that wage premiums and productivity increased with years of schooling, but workers had higher benefits…

Reviews seven books on immigration, discussing what recent scholarship tells about the ways that successive waves of immigrants affect people already living in the United States. The books examine: the arrival of Indians from North Asia, the case against immigration, immigration policy and U.S. economics, the U.S. experience with international…

This article examines the effects of legal status on wage rates among Mexican migrants. The findings show little wage discrimination against illegal migrants, but their illegal status does reduce the duration of their stay. The total amount of employer capital spent on them is less than that for legal migrants. (VM)

Describes the role and socioeconomic status of translators in the Latin American countries. Blames the poor quality of translations on inadequate compensation based on the piecework system. It also advocates translators' unionization as a first step to obtain higher salaries and contracts covering all benefits guaranteed to workers under labor…

This report describes the foreign-born population of the United States in 2002, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey. Overall, more than one-third of the foreign-born population is from Mexico or another Central American country. The foreign-born are more likely to live in the west, while natives are more likely to…