This is an edited collection of papers drawn from a conference held at the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies in June 1997. This conference brought German and American perspectives to bear on the complex issues of global competition, technological change, and labour markets in the welfare state. The contributions are organized into five sections dealing with various aspects of the problem, including: macroeconomic perspectives; microeconomic aspects; the German model of labour relations; the social market economy; and trade policy and environmental and labour standards. The collection seeks to explore many of the key issues surrounding the debate over the impact of globalization and technological change on labour markets in Europe and the United States.
