The library and information workforce has grown rapidly in recent years. The increase in the number of people in employment has slowed down whilst the proportion unemployed has risen to over 15 per cent. Changes in the career patterns of women have reduced the rate of wastage. This in turn has affected both the age and sex structure of the workforce. The increase in the size of the workforce has been accompanied by a substantial increase in the proportion who hold a professional qualification. There has been a similar movement towards an all-graduate workforce.
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