Trends in Advertised Entry-Level Technology,Interpersonal, and Basic Communication Job Skills, 1992–1994

This study identifies entry-level employment trends in technology, interpersonal, and basic communication job skills over time using classified newspaper advertisements from standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSAs) in the United States. These skills were selected from a set of workplace know-hows listed in two editions of a U.S. Department of Labor report, the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS; 1991, 1992). The results indicate that classified ads specifically requesting technical and interpersonal job skills have declined, yet ads requesting basic communication skills have remained constant, with a high percentage specifically requesting these basic skills.