THE CHANGING WORK FORCE 
                    TRENDS AND ISSUES ALERTS 
                   by Bettina A. Lankard, 1993
 
ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education,  
Center on Education and Training for Employment, 1900 Kenny Road,  
Columbus, OH 43210-1090 
     
     Economic pressures, work force diversity, and advances in  
technology are prompting changes in the nature of work and in  
organizational policy and management.  The projected annual  
growth in gross national product from 1990 to 2005 is expected to  
decline from 2.9 percent to 2.3 percent (Kutscher et al. 1992).   
This decline is expected to trigger a slowdown in the labor  
force, especially in occupations that employ workers who do not  
have education beyond high school, which will have implications  
for the employment of increasing numbers of women and minorities. 
     Women now make up 45 percent of the work force (Butruille  
1990) and this percentage is expected to increase as more men  
than women will leave the labor force.  Blacks and Hispanics will  
account for more than one-fourth of all entrants to the labor  
force between 1990 and 2005.  These groups will need higher  
educational attainment if they are to compete in the future labor  
force.  Postsecondary education will be increasingly important  
for gainful employment and good wages. 
     Although the number of older Americans in the labor force  
has been increasing, the 16- to 24-year-old segment of the work  
force has been declining since 1980.  This younger group is  
expected to increase in the near future to reach 8.4 million in  
2000 and 8.8 million in 2005, making available more entry-level  
workers (ibid.).  However, as the nature of work becomes more  
complex, alternative approaches to education and training in the  
workplace will be necessary to promote continuous learning and  
development. 
     The cultural, educational, economic, and societal diversity  
among members of the work force will continue to force  
organizations to look to unique staffing, scheduling, and  
training policies and practices that will attract qualified  
workers and meet their personal as well as professional needs. 
     Four organizational trends surfacing in response to the  
changing composition and nature of the work force are as follows: 
--Employment of women in nontraditional jobs 
--Flexible staffing practices 
--Alternative scheduling 
--More efficient training practices 
     Women are one of the fastest growing segments of the labor  
force.  They are entering employment with greater recognition of  
their economic needs and the skills they have to offer (Butruille  
1990).  Employment in nontraditional jobs offers them the  
potential for work "in the primary sector of the economy where  
jobs are more likely to command higher wages, greater benefits, a  
wider variety of work schedules, and greater job security"  
(Women's Bureau 1991, p. 2).  Additionally, jobs in these areas  
may be more personally satisfying than many of the traditional  
jobs occupied by women, namely clerical and service (ibid.) 
     Economic and competitive pressures, the need to contain  
costs, and a diverse work force have prompted companies toward  
flexible staffing options that include the use of temporary  
employees, independent contractors, outsourcing, and employee  
leasing.  A survey of 427 companies conducted by the Olsten  
Corporation (1992) revealed that "use of temporary employees  
remains the most widespread form of contract, flexible staffing.   
More than six out of ten companies also use independent  
contractors, and more than a quarter outsource business  
functions" (p. 6). 
     Alternative scheduling options such as part time and  
flextime are well established in many organizations.   
Work-at-home options are made possible by use of  
telecommunications.  Job sharing is also gaining acceptance as  
women and men with children attempt to balance work and family  
life.  "With 52 percent of women with children under age six  
working today, companies that intend to recruit or retain a  
quality work force are going to have to make jobs palatable for  
different kinds of people than those they were accustomed to  
attracting in the past" (Lee 1991, p. 23). 
     Training in the 1990s will be more focused on lifelong  
learning and training efficiency (Cohen 1991).  According to  
Cohen, one way to make training more efficient is to conduct it  
as close to the job site as possible, as "nearly two-thirds of  
all training dollars are spend on travel and lodging" (p. 32).   
The skill emphasis of the 1990s will be directed to learning that  
is relevant to the changing workplace, for example, "managing  
change and ambiguity, teamwork, thinking, empowerment, learning,  
personal effectiveness, business practice, future focus, and  
diversity" (p. 34). 


     This TRENDS AND ISSUES ALERT provides resources that can be  
used in examining the challenges of a changing work force. 


                         PRINT RESOURCES 

     Barber, G. M.; Crouch, R. T.; and Merker, S. L.   
"Implications of an Aging Labor Force for Human Resource  
Development Policy."  EDUCATIONAL GERONTOLOGY 18, no. 1  
(January-February 1992):  99-110.  (EJ 448 122) 
     Policy implications involve pensions, health benefits,  
retraining, flexible work options, and income support programs. 

     Butruille, S. G.  "Corporate Caretaking."  TRAINING AND  
DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL 44, no. 4 (April 1990):  48-55.  (EJ 404 725) 
     Reviews changes in work force composition and worker values  
that are impelling companies to create family support policies.   
Assesses the status of working women in the workplace and the  
home. 

     Cohen, S. L.  "The Challenge of Training in the Nineties."   
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 45, no. 7 (July 1991): 30-35.  (EJ 428  
057) 
     Changes in jobs and the composition of the labor force, the  
need for lifelong learning, technology, and changing management  
practices mean that training is likely to become more a screening  
device than a development tool. 

     Committee for Economic Development.  AN AMERICA THAT WORKS:   
THE LIFE-CYCLE APPROACH TO A COMPETITIVE WORK FORCE.  New York:   
CED, 1990.  (ED 333 098) 
     The life-cycle framework focuses on a two-pronged approach:   
to make the existing work force more productive and flexible and  
to augment its size by creating opportunities for underused  
groups of potential workers. 

     Crawford, E.; Romero, C. J.; and Barnow, B. S.  A CHANGING  
NATION--ITS CHANGING LABOR FORCE.  Washington, DC:  National  
Commission for Employment Policy, 1991.  (ED 339 856) 
     Examines the divergent experiences of Blacks, Hispanics,  
Asians/Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and Whites in the  
labor force and attributes the differences to human capital,  
sociological diversity, discrimination, and geographic location. 

     Ferber, M. A.; O'Farrell, B.; and Allen, L. R.; eds.  WORK  
AND FAMILY.  POLICIES FOR A CHANGING WORK FORCE.  Washington, DC:   
National Academy Press, 1991.  (ED 341 844) 
     Reviews changes in family structure and composition,  
arrangements for dependent care, employment practices in other  
industrialized countries, innovative employer programs, and  
conclusions for policies, programs, and future research. 

     Fischer, R.  "Tomorrow's Workers:  A Peek at What  
Demographers See for Workforce 2000."  Conference paper, 1990.   
(ED 324 712) 
     Predicts slow labor force growth, rise in average age, fewer  
entry-level workers, more immigrants and minorities, increased  
mismatch between needs and worker capabilities, consideration of  
previously ignored potential workers, and change in workers'  
families. 

     General Accounting Office.  THE CHANGING WORKFORCE.   
DEMOGRAPHIC ISSUES FACING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.  Washington,  
DC:  GAO, 1992.  (ED 346 241) 
     Labor economists and other experts often disagree with  
predictions of widespread labor shortages and skills mismatches.   
They generally agree that the demographic composition of the work  
force has changed and will continue to change, particularly in  
terms of women and racial and ethnic minorities. 

     Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies.   
WORKFORCE TRENDS.  Washington, DC:  ICESA, 1990.  (ED 327 638) 
     Presents an overall assessment of work force trends in terms  
of demographics, technology, political restructuring, economics,  
sociological forces, educational changes, and environmental  
effects. 

     Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies.  THE  
FUTURE AT WORK.  Washington, DC:  ICESA, 1991.  (ED 338 877) 
     Changing workplace trends include the shrinking workweek,  
quest for job satisfaction, flextime/telecommuting, automation,  
employee leasing, flexible or cafeteria benefit plans, and more  
employee responsibility. 

     Kutscher, R. E.; Berman, J. M.; and Cosca, T. A.  "Outlook  
1990-2005: Major Trends and Issues.  The 1990-2005 Job Outlook in  
Brief."  OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK QUARTERLY 36, no. 1 (Spring 1992):  
2-5.  (EJ 444 054) 
     The economy will grow more slowly in the next decade due to  
slow labor force growth.  Service industries will provide most  
new jobs, and higher educational attainment will be needed to  
compete in an increasingly diverse work force. 

     Lee, C.  "Balancing Work and Family."  TRAINING 28, no.9  
(September 1991): 23-28.  (EJ 430 803) 
     Describes responses of some companies to increasing demands  
for family-work balance in terms of flexibility in hours and  
leave policies, child care, and benefits. 

     Mishel, L., and Teixeira, R. A.  THE MYTH OF THE COMING  
LABOR SHORTAGE.  Washington, DC:  Economic Policy Institute,  
1991.  (ED 346 265) 
     Examines conventional wisdom that the economy will face a  
labor shortage, including skill requirements of jobs, quantity  
and quality of the future work force, and recent and expected  
trends in wages and incomes. 

     Olsten Corporation.  NEW STAFFING STRATEGIES FOR THE 90'S.   
Westbury, NY:  Olsten Corporation, 1992.  (ED 343 031) 
     Trends identified by human resource executives include  
flexible staffing, temporary employees, outsourcing, employee  
contracting and leasing, alternative scheduling options, and work  
at home. 

     Women's Bureau.  NONTRADITIONAL TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT  
PROGRAMS SERVING WOMEN DIRECTORY.  Washington, DC:  Women's  
Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor, 1991.  (ED 349 952) 
     Describes programs providing job training for women in  
nontraditional occupations, information and technical assistance  
programs, and outreach programs.  Includes supplemental materials  
on federal and state agencies, national organizations, and a  
bibliography. 


     This TRENDS AND ISSUES ALERT was developed with funding from  
the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S.  
Department of Education, under Contract No. RI88062005.  Opinions  
expressed do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of  
OERI or the Department.  ALERTS may be freely reproduced