This report provides an overview of economic trends and their effect on labor market training needs in Saskatchewan. Following a brief introduction, part 2 provides an overview of international economic trends, including data on world demographics, while part 3 examines the Canadian economy, focusing on job stability and the employment of minorities. Part 4 reviews the Saskatchewan economy, highlighting growth sectors as of 1996 and provincial spending. Part 5 describes the demographic characteristics of Saskatchewan residents, reviewing the urban/rural split, age distribution and dependency ratio, and influx of immigrants, while part 6 describes the province's Aboriginal population, focusing on age, percentage of women by city, educational levels, unemployment rates, and income. Part 7 describes Saskatchewan's labor force, including unemployment rates, social assistance recipients, employment by sex, youth employment, employment changes by region and by industry, self-employment, and the future outlook. Part 8 describes general trends affecting training needs, such as the increasing diversity of the workforce, the shift toward continuous learning, the growth of contingent employment, and an increasing gap between skills and job requirements. Part 9 analyzes the implications of these trends for the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, reviewing needs for English instruction, adult basic education, youth programs, programs assisting Aboriginal youth, programs to retrain the unemployed, entrepreneurship education, and programs focusing on growth occupations and computer-related occupations. Finally, part 10 provides general conclusions. Appendixes provide data on occupational demand by region and Canadian employability skills standards. Contains 39 references. (HAA)