Throughout the early 1900s, the United States could either find technically skilled workers based upon their backgrounds or was able to train workers quickly. Farmers, military personnel, and other sources of skilled workers were available to fill the needs of the workforce. These sources of readily available skilled workers are no longer as…

Increasing concerns about the skill level of U.S. workers are driven by demographics, technological change, and international competition. Greater percentages of the labor force will be comprised of those groups that have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to full participation in the labor force. Rapid technological change is increasing…

Considers the effects on education and training of (1) global competition; (2) declining per capita/family incomes and concomitantly rising income inequality; and (3) workplace changes. Sees increased role for educators in retraining displaced workers; training students for full participation in work, social, and civic contexts; and teaching…

A labor market-oriented study of the effects of internationalization provided background for National Commission for Employment Policy (NCEP) recommendations on ways to enhance the ability of the U.S. economy to compete in world markets. The analysis focuses on three major dimensions: (1) trade in goods and services; (2) immigrants (legal and…

In this issue various concepts of economic change are examined. Part I looks at economic change as a context for focusing on workforce issues. Parts II and III discuss what is being done to address this contemporary problem. This issue contains the following papers: "Presidential Perspectives on Economic Change and Restructuring: An…