A survey of 1978-79 graduate degree recipients in physics and astronomy was undertaken to determine the characteristics of students and employment opportunities. Information is presented on: employment offers for new physics masters and doctorate recipients, 1974-79; characteristics of the 1978-79 graduate physics student population, and of minority group members; graduate physics students by subfield and years of graduate study completed, sources of support for graduate physics students by sex and degree status; number of advanced graduate physics students specializing in selected experimental or theoretical subfields by years of graduate study completed; types of research performed by doctoral candidates with respect to years of graduate study completed; employment offers for 1978-79 doctorate recipients by subfield and type of research; post-degree plans of physics terminal master's degree recipients; employment plans of terminal masters by subfield; type of employer and work activity of physics terminal masters; background characteristics and postdoctorate status of 1978-79 physics graduates; use of physics in potentially permanent employment of graduate degree recipients; and median monthly salaries paid by U.S. employers to new physics graduates. Information is also presented on graduate astronomy students by subfield and years of graduate study completed, characteristics of astronomy graduate students, and background characteristics and postdoctorate status of astronomy doctorate recipients. (SW)