This report provides a brief background account of the tighter labor markets of 1965 and 1966 and reviews recent published materials and documents bearing on the various ways business and industry responded to shortages of skilled workers, particularly in the construction and manufacturing industries. Discussion of changes in hiring practices and policies includes (1) attraction of new employees through unusual advertising, bounty payments, and special inducements, (2) importation of workers, (3) widening of the hiring range to include women, teenagers, minority groups, physically disabled and mentally retarded. Discussion of expanded training programs includes training offered by private industry, labor unions and government, individually and under joint or community programs. Training of the occupationally disadvantaged is cited, but attention is drawn to the negligible impact on the "hard-core poor." Other alternatives cited for meeting shortages include the longer work week, multiple job holding, farming out work, renting employees, redesigning the job, changing the work environment, and changing technology and plant location. A 29-item bibliography is included. (rt)