This article encourages employment counselors to help employed and unemployed rareerplateaued workers regain a sense of personal investment. motivation. arid productivit).According to the cover page of U.S. News and World Report (1984), we are in "a period of change so dramatic that it has left many Americans both dazzled and bewildered." Drowning in information and grasping for relevant knowledge, employment counselors seek insights into trends, practical techniques, and creative solutions to job-related concerns for the 1980s. As a result of the societal shifts that are reshaping America, an important focus for employment counselors will be the large number of employed and unemployed workers faced with career plateauing (Yarmon, 1982). If employment counselors are to help those seeking career development and employment services, major forces influencing this phenomenon need to be identified, along with suggested approaches and innovative solutions.What social trends and changes in the world of work that make career plateauing a critical concern in the decade ahead must be addressed if human resources are to be effectively utilized? First, corporations have reorganized and downsked due to economic conditions, international competition, and the desire to operate more productively. Businesses and institutions are leaner at the top, with fewer administrative layers. This has decreased the number of top-level employees (Naisbitt, 1982).Second, the vast baby-boom generation is moving into the mid-career stage, creating a pool of talent the likes of which has never been seen. By 1990, the number of people between the ages of 30 and 44 is expected to surge to 60 million. A nearly 60% increase in the number of 30-44-year olds in the work force is expected over this decade. There will be a lot of people queuing up for promotions, but there will be fewer slots opening up than there will be people eager to fill them (Sanoff, 1984).Third, many older workers are delaying retirement, due to economic necessity and the personal desire to remain productive for a longer Katliriinr R . Raiitzr IS a dortoinl cnitdldntr I N Iiuninn ip\oui(i' derielopinriit rind Rirhnrd W Feller LS nn mwrznte p i ofmor i n rouiwliiig n i i d coiri'i dei~rlopinriit. Drpnitiiwnt of Voratioiinl Education, Colorado Stntr L'nzvrrrzt\, Fort C o l l z i~~ MARCH 1985

The workplace and the psychological contract between employees and employer have structurally changed. This article suggests ways that counselors can help clients plan and take action to enhance their personal competitiveness in the “broken workplace.”

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