The studies in the present volume were prepared under the ILO World Employment Programme, which constitutes the major contribution of the International Labour Office to the Second United Nations Development Decade, in the area of employment objectives and policies. Several types of activity are currently under way as part of the World Employment Programme, including action-oriented research in the fields of population and employment; technology and employment; income distribution and employment; education, the labour market and employment; the effects of trade expansion on employment; urban employment problems; and the feasibility of emergency employment schemes.1The studies in this volume date from 1969 and 1970, and were undertaken before the above structure of research activities was established. A set of circumstances beyond the control either of the authors or of the ILO has mitigated against their publication until now. There is no doubt, however, but that they would have formed part of the "education and employment" research programme.

By Jean Benard and Jan Versluis