The United States is a labor surplus society, one with a persistent shortage of jobs. This labor surplus--manifested in excessively and persistently high unemployment--will continue through the 1980s. The existence of a persistent job shortage, resulting in a labor surplus of four to six million unemployed workers without a constructive economic role, threatens the stability of America's economic, social, and political institutions. Aggravated by trade and technology developments, the labor-surplus condition will affect young and old, black and white, blue collar and white collar. This labor surplus underclass threatens the stability of the nation's economic, social, and political institutions and weakens the United States competitive position in the world economy. Without determined and effective action to change economic conditions and to increase job opportunities, America will move from the 1980s into the 1990s with an increasingly significant labor surplus. (The paper contains many tables and graphs showing present and predicted unemployment; labor force statistics; unemployment by race, age, and sex; changes in occupation; occupational profiles for the 1980s; the influence of robotics; and the influence of the balance of trade.) (KC)