The Evolution of the American Labor Market 1948-1980

Since World War II, the labor market in the United States has experienced significant changes in the composition of the work force, the type of work performed, institutional rules of operation and structure of wages, and employment and unemployment. Some of the changes continue historic trends. Others, however, have diverged from developments of earlier decades to create new labor market conditions and problems. In this paper, I identify seven of the most important changes, document their magnitude, and seek to estimate their impact on the economy.