The structure df world production and trade changes continuousl5 opening. up'new job opportunities and threatening existing' ones. This process of change causea coneiderable adjustnent problems affecting the lives of milliong of woricers and their familiarf in both industrialised and developing couotriee. trh view of theirrpotenti*lly fatr-reaching . coneeque-ncee these changee need. to $e anelyeed in deipth; ''CriticaL igsues ghould .be identified in time. fire different options (and :their conaequences) open to policymakers And other. codcerned plrties oust a'l.go be examined. These are the princi,pal. coneerrrs of the research rtndertekec by' the ILO!s -Intenrational Diviaioa of Labour Programe...l -In thie situation of constant changer:;'irhere causell ant effects are often hard to reparaEe, it is' aot €asy to guese wtrat the future will brirg. Certain trendg may be diecernible but many unc€,rtaintles,, remain. It is pareicularly important -but often very hsrd -to tbcognise which changea ane cyclical and wtrich structural. To what exEent is unused capacity and rrnanploynent, in:a part:icular indtretry netated to tow overall demand and to wtrat extenE are long-terrr .structural feetors at work? : '" The ilevelopirg countriea*play en important role in the procese qf, atructutal,ehange. 'Their'ahare, of world maitfacturid produetion and. ttede has incneesed in Ehe last fen decailes. Sc-far, nost of this g.r€ateE shane ori.ginates in few countries only (ttp ''' newly indusErialising countries NICa). At firet, , deVeloping countri cxporti tended to be concantrated in industries using little capital and releEively simple technology. Gradually, however, the range of trheir exportg 'expanded and came to include ateel, ships, uachine tools, colour TVs, videotepe recorders, petrochemicalc, arms and aircraft.. :..fn,.nore rec'dnt ,y€r,a'fse protbctiOnisrn aBd the uee of hew tecluotogtes,have tended .to slow dotm tlre advance, of'develbpirg countriea .exports,.,in certain ptoducE areas;' Thia has atlowed'induotrialiced countries to regein ground in some iltiaditionaltr lfidugtries. But lt hel lteo encouteged devalopitrg eountry exporter$ to accelef+te 'thefr.hove intg t"he production and export of nore 'cophietic.tad" producEs. 'A eituation appe€trs to be errergi.rg in which most industrlal goode ueiag'rhatufe technologiee can be produced in a.{arge number of ( industribtised ''aid rlewly r:lndugt-rialieing) countriee. Sectors that uae and g6neratc therve{ lateet techiologies are exceptions.Capital has become increasiagly " lnternationally mobile and tttis hae contributed to an acceleration of strucEural change. It hes also made labour adjustme*ts mor€ difficutt. 'Capital can be moved by telex, but people move morei sl,owly. I.Iorker$ need to ,adjust to, chetrginB,-cirrcumstences, td be traine6 and retrained'. But this takes time. , It is therefore essential thaE the social partoers arrd wdrrkers in parEicul'ar are aware at an early stage of the seqpe and the dofisequenpes of the structural changes taking pl.ace and .