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This monograph explains the new economy from the point of view of people at work. It begins by providing an overview of the new economy and places the United States in it. Separate aspects of the new economy are elaborated in five parts. Part I presents the competitive standards that provide the cornerstone for the new economic reality: robust productivity, flexible volumes, speed, affordable quality, and customer focus. Part II assesses the role of technology, especially information technology, in the new economy. Part III explains how the orderly cycles of economic change have been transformed in the new environment. Parts IV, V, and VI discuss the impact of new competitive standards, technologies, and the radical alteration caused by economic change on organizations, jobs, and skills respectively. Part IV discusses mass production structures; services, independent crafts, and professions; and examples of industries' diverse responses to organizational demands. Part V addresses how the new economy has affected jobs in three ways: quantity, distribution, and quality. Part VI discusses factors affecting skill requirements and elaborates on the skills needed in the new economy. A list of 138 references is appended. (YLB)