The U.S. Labor Market: Distance Learning Presentation to Students at the Institut Universitaire de Technologie (Cherbourg, France)

Version 2: February 23, 2000.
Version 1: Presented March 1, 1999.

Richard L. Hannah, Ph.D., CEBS
Professor of Economics & Director of the Center for Economic Education
Middle Tennessee State University
Homepage  
Email:rlhannah@frank.mtsu.edu

	This web page has been developed as a reference for IUT students.
The contents summarize supporting material utilized in the preparation of a 
distance learning presentation from MTSU to Cherbourg.  The general
content of this presentation is oriented toward answering questions by French 
students who are interested in the U.S. labor market.

	Students have asked for insights into several dimensions
of the U.S. labor market in order to better understand the dynamics of how
the U.S. economy may differ from that of France or other countries.
Specific inquiries will be addressed during the distance learning
telecast.  The summary below introduces the topic and provides Internet links 
to electronic resources which are helpful for a more complete exploration
of topics that may be of interest.

Presentation Outline
International Comparisons: France, Germany, England, Japan, U.S.
Summary of U.S. Labor Market: Economic Fundamentals (see below)
U.S. Labor Market Issues: Healthcare, Pensions, Electronic Networks
Teenage Labor Market Behavior: Recent Research by Dr. Hannah

Summary of the U.S. Labor Market

	While we will not have time to discuss the details of this topic,
there are several underlying forces that are changing the fundamental
nature of the U.S. labor market.  These are briefly described below.

(1) Shift from manufacturing and other traditional industries to a service
based economy.  This trend is now more than a decade old and continues for
several reasons. These include the re-location of manufacturing jobs to
lower wage countries, the increasing importance of information based
activities, and the shift in demand of the American consumer to markets
that are more service intensive.

(2) Aging of the American workforce.  As the "baby boomer" demographic
group ages, so does the proportion of workers who are older.  This
sharpens the focus on issues such as age discrimination in employment,
social security and retirement system financing, and the expected demand
on health care.

(3) Education.  Government policies toward the labor market and education
in the U.S. are highly interdependent, with the objective of preparing
students for high wage jobs, of competing in an increasingly
globalized economy, and of accommodating the need for lifelong learning
(continuously acquiring skills that increase productivity).

(4) Contingent workers.  These are temporary, or contract, workers are not
traditionally classified as full-time or even part-time employees.  They
change jobs frequently and represent an increasingly mobile U.S. labor
force that is not attached to specific employers.

(5) Teleworking.  Advances in information technologies have resulted in
many information based jobs being electronically distributed to remote
locations.  This has presented many interesting issues with respect to how
production is coordinated, workers are supervised, and firms are
organized.

(6) Unions.  The proportion of American workers who are union members has
never been more than about one third; however, in the past two decades the
trend has been clearly downward, with only about 10 percent of workers in
the private sector being represented by unions.  The key issue in the U.S.
is if unions will continue this downward trend and thus cease to be a
factor in shaping U.S. labor policy.

(7) Role of Females in the Labor Market.  Female participation rates in
the labor market have increased steadily since World War II.  The U.S. has
lagged behind many industrialized countries in formulating policies that
accommodate the related needs of child care, maternity leave, and extended
absences for parenting.  The American family unit can not longer cope with
the pressures of both parents working, and single parent
head-of-households who work.  There are two possible paths of evolution.
One is to rely upon labor market solutions--that is agreements worked out
between workers and employers (as individuals or through unions). The
other is government legislation.  There have been marginal steps in both
these areas.  Examples include tax incentives for child care and the
Family and Medical Leave Act legislation.

Data Sources

	Most of the sources for the data illustrated in the telecast were
derived from Internet acquired www resources available from the U.S.
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor of Labor Statistics.  However, for
students who are interested in learning more about either the U.S. labor
market or international comparisons of labor market data, additional web
links are included.  Finally, if students are interested in how the
Internet is integrated into my courses here at MTSU, these can be accessed
from my homepage.

General Access to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
International Employment Relations Web Resources
Richard L. Hannah's Homepage