In this important study, leading economists, sociologists, and psychologists present original research focusing on changes in the structure of jobs in Britain during the 1980's. Combining large-scale sample surveys, personal life-histories, and case studies of towns, employers, and worker groups, the contributors find clear and sometimes surprising answers to questions debated by social and economic observers in all industrialized countries. Some of the questions they address include: Does technology destroy skills or rebuild them? How does skill affect the attitudes of employees and their managers toward their jobs? Are women gaining greater skill equity with men? How does skill level effect social values? In answering these and other questions, the authors provide the most comprehensive, authoritative, and carefully researched set of conclusions to date on skill trends and their implications on the whole of British society.