‘Hello, this is India. Can I help you?’

The instantaneous nature of modern communication has allowed the customer service industry to follow its counterparts in manufacturing and move overseas. With numbers that are almost doubling annually, Indians are coming to work in call centers to answer questions about bills, credit cards, and insurance. American companies in particular are eager to take advantage of a cheap, highly educated, English-speaking labor market. For the price of one American worker, American companies can outsource to five Indian workers, which is more than enough enticement for many businesses. In 2002, $450 billion were spent by US companies to outsource business services employing 4 million people worldwide. As the American job market continues to struggle, domestic labor interests are watching this trend with increasing concern. – YaleGlobal