Studies of 29 welfare reform initiatives conducted by the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation were synthesized in an exploration of how welfare and work policies affect employment and income. Each of the studies reviewed focused on one or more of the following key program features: mandatory employment services, earnings supplements, and…

Of the 108 million women age 16 or over who were part of the 1999 civilian noninstitutional U.S. population, 65 million (about 60%) were either employed or actively looking for work. In 1999, black, white, and Hispanic women participated in the labor force at rates of 63.5%, 59.6%, and 55.9%, respectively. According to projections, women will…

The empirical basis for expectations that employer involvement in high school programs contributes to early employment success in today's economy was explored by using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS) survey for 1992, when students were sampled in their senior year, and data for 1994, when follow-up interviews with the…

The future of low-wage jobs is examined through a case study of firm restructuring in the retail industry. The study confirms that the retailing sector has come to be dominated by the Wal-Mart model, which emphasizes an efficient technology-driven inventory management system and a human resource approach that includes the following elements:…

The business press abounds with examples of innovative companies that have created high-quality jobs; however, low-wage, deskilled jobs filled by contingent workers are equally prevalent. More than one in six U.S. workers currently hold retail jobs. The effect of globalization of trade on the retail industry is unclear. The most significant…

Differences in the earnings of male and female graduates of technical and further education (TAFE) programs in Australia were examined in a study that focused primarily on graduates working full-time. Data were collected from the 1997 Graduate Destination Survey and from a series of focus groups and interviews with women TAFE graduates working in…

Taiwan's commercial high schools are 3-year institutions that students enter after successfully passing a rigorous vocational, technical, or commercial school admission examination. Although commercial high schools date from the early days of Japanese occupation in 1895, the modern-day Chinese commercial high school did not come into being until…

As part of the National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies (NEWWS), the experiences of welfare recipients who find jobs were studied. The study focused on the employment outcomes of 17,055 program group members from 6 of the 10 NEWWS evaluation sites. Data were obtained from unemployment insurance records and the findings of a survey…

The impacts of 20 welfare-to-work programs across the United States were evaluated to determine which clients derive the greatest benefits from different approaches to moving individuals from welfare to work. Of the 20 programs examined, 7 were characterized as employment focused, 5 provided a mix of first activities without an employment focus, 4…

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) commissioned the papers in this publication to address advances in measuring education inflation and adjusting for it, as well as to examine the emergence of a new focus on school spending, rather than school district spending, as well as new, private sources of funding for public education, and…

The changing skill requirements for the occupations of childcare worker and eldercare provider in Great Britain were examined. Data were collected from the following: review of existing literature; preliminary exploratory interviews with representatives of voluntary organizations, professional bodies, training providers, organizations involved in…

A study assessed the impact of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Vocational Education's practical nurse program for funding years 1979-1980 (38 programs), 1980-1981 (40 programs), and 1981-1982 (41 programs). Researchers reviewed literature pertaining to the state of the art of health care both in Pennsylvania and across the Nation. Next, they…

A study analyzed past and present United States initiatives for promoting equal employment opportunity and wage equality for women. It was determined that, during the past 20 years, the United States Government has established the legal procedures to combat inequities in educational opportunities and employment-related practices. While these…

In 1982, females constituted 51.1 percent of those students enrolled in secondary vocational education courses in Minnesota; however, they accounted for only 40 percent of those enrolled in area vocational-technical institutes. If vocational programs are defined as being either segregated or integrated on the basis of whether fewer or more than 80…

A bibliography of articles by Alexander W. Astin on the social psychology of higher education is presented. Entries are presented by year, starting with 1980 and dating back to 1956. Topics that are covered include: equal access to higher education, student persistence and attrition, higher education policy, selective admissions and open…