Section Twoand literacy never demanded of their predecessors.”^100 Stated
differently, “jobs that are currently in the middle of the skill
distribution will be the least-skilled occupations of the future,
and there will be very few net new jobs for the unskilled.”^101
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that 40
percent of the growth in jobs through 2008 will require at least
an associate’s degree.^102
Greater Racial Diversity
The labor force will become much more diverse in the twenty-
first century. The category consisting of Asians and others
(Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and Alaskan Natives) is
projected to grow by over 40 percent through 2008, the fastest
of all racial groups. Hispanic participation is expected to
increase by 36.8 percent, and Hispanics will become the largest
minority group in the labor force by 2008, accounting for
12.7 percent of the labor force. The participation of black
workers is expected to grow more slowly, 19.5 percent. Growth
in labor force participation of white workers will be the slowest,
only 9.7 percent. As a result of these growth patterns, by the
year 2008, over 29 percent of the workforce will be composed
of nonwhites.^103 As noted earlier in this section’s discussion of
the management of diversity, organizations will need to plan to
take advantage of diversity instead of forcing conformity.
Likewise, organizations will need to be proactive in helping to