An overview of unemployment in the United States is presented, including its meaning and extent, its history, and current efforts to save the situation. Illustrative policies of other countries are examined for clues to assuring full employment for Americans. In 1975, 7 million Americans, mostly minorities and blue collar and unskilled workers, were unemployed and a million others were "out of the labor force" mainly due to lack of jobs paying a living wage. The author explains that unemployment is not a new problem. Turn-of-the-century laissez-faire doctrines which ignored unemployment and left the economy alone inadequate to solve unemployment problems. They were followed by "the new economics" in which government is like a business, with taxes as the "price" for goods and services. The government moderated the business cycle in response to economic trends. This alleviated high unemployment until inflation, poor planning, and poor coordination began to burden the unskilled worker population. As a direction toward full employment, the author describes two acts before Congress during 1976. The Balanced Growth and Economic Planning Act, introduced in May 1975 by Senators Javits and Humphrey, and the Full Employment and Balanced Act, introduced by Humphrey and Representative A. Hawkins, incorporate some elements of French and Swedish policies. The bills call for direct government commitment to full employment, economic forecasting, and large-scale job and training programs. (AV)