The proposed research intends to clarify whether similarities and differences between Japan and the United States in macro-social historical changes correspond to similarities and differences at the micro-individual processes between these two societies regarding the patterns of labor-force participation and those of job changes and job leaves, the form of association of life cycle with occupational and employment-status characteristics, and the extent of gender segregation in occupation. The micro-level processes involve the matching of supply-side characteristics (such as education, experience, gender and age) and demand-side job characteristics (which are often stratified by supply-side attributes), when individuals enter, exit, reenter labor force, or when they change jobs within and across firms. The project identifies this aim by using event-history analysis of individual work histories with both micro-individual and macro-social level predictors. The research will provide some definitive answers regarding which aspects of Japan's experiences differ from those of the U.S. , and which aspects of Japan's experiences are "converging" to American patterns.