In this working paper on high technology industries, a few representative industries are studied in detail, while an overview is also given of the group as a whole. The overview, which highlights the findings of selected studies of the unique characteristics of high tech industries, considers such issues as locational factors, occupational and employment characteristics, and structural changes in the economy. The section called Introduction to Industry Profiles highlights selected trends related to high technology industries that affect employment either directly or indirectly, including earnings, the role of women, and industry structure. Industry profiles are then provided for the semiconductor industry, computer industries (divided into electronic computing machinery industry and computer and data processing services industry), communications industries (divided into communication equipment industry and telephone communication industry), and guided missiles and space vehicles industry. Each profile discusses the products/services provided by the industry, employment and earnings data, occupational outlook, demographic characteristics with special focus on women, industry economic characteristics (including corporate identification, sales, international trade), and industry trends. A bibliography of principal published sources used in the analysis concludes each profile. Data tables dispersed throughout the text include tables showing male-female ratios in white collar and blue collar occupations in the industries considered. Discussions of demographic characteristics show generally that occupational segregation persists and that the majority of women employed in microelectronic-related businesses hold the lowest paid, lowest status jobs despite a relatively high level of participation. (YLB)