This monograph is designed to provide nontechnical users, including policymakers, program planners, curriculum developers, career counselors, and job development and placement specialists, with an introduction to applied labor market analysis of local conditions. Addressed in the individual chapters of the guide are the following topics: the nature of the analytical process; the spatial element of the geography of labor markets (labor markets, political versus economic definitions of a geographic area, and urban development and land use patterns); local area industrial analysis (using a six-step analytical process and linking industry analysis with occupational structure); an integrated approach to identifying occupational job opportunities (supply/demand analysis; occupational analysis; combination of industrial and occupational analysis, the occupational process model, and qualitative occupational analysis); application of labor market information in career counseling; and uses of labor market information. Appendixes to the monograph include a discussion of fundamental concepts, a listing of sources of labor market information, an industrial evaluative model, and an examination of the relationship between economic base analysis and the local economy. (MN)