In The News

A Missing Statistic: U.S. Jobs That Went Overseas

Louis Uchitelle October 5, 2003
As US politicians blame each other for the country's high unemployment rate, a key question remains unanswered: how much of the recent job loss can be blamed on cheap overseas labor? Although estimates vary, most economists agree that of the 2.81 million jobs lost since the US economic slump began, at least fifteen percent have gone overseas. American companies can save as much as fifty...

Chinese Girls’ Toil Brings Pain, Not Riches

Joseph Kahn October 2, 2003
China’s shift to capitalism has brought huge rewards to many Chinese, but for 150 million unemployed peasants, poverty is still a harsh reality. Job prospects are limited, and a lucky few find jobs with multinational corporations, which offer good pay and high labor standards. In China’s export sector, however, sweatshops and low pay are much more common. Lured by promises of good pay, two...

Globalization Hurts USA

John Sweeney October 2, 2003
With the US economy in a slump, American labor leaders are calling for a change in US trade policy. John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, the largest union in America, argues that globalization, at least as it relates to trade policy, has failed both working Americans and poor workers in developing countries. Because world trade agreements encourage American manufacturing companies to take...

Tough Struggle at Sea

September 30, 2003
Women are increasingly manning the world's ships, yet they continue to face discrimination. According to a new study published by the International Labor Office, women currently represent between 1 and 2 percent of the world's 1.25 million seafarers, serving on some 87,000 ships. Even in the Philippines – the world’s largest supplier of seafarers to the global merchant fleet – only...

A Journey for Change

Jessie Mangaliman September 24, 2003
The Statute of Liberty, who promises open arms to all immigrants rich and poor, will soon be greeted by some of her new Americans. In an attempt to recapture the spirit of anti-racism activism in the 1960s, thousands are traveling across America's 'Heartland' to decry anti-immigrant prejudice. The US has long prided itself on being a nation of immigrants, but this pride –...

Can Rich Countries Stem the Outflow of Jobs?

Eddie Lee September 23, 2003
Last month, the United States lost 93,000 jobs, many of them in the service sector. This commentary in Singapore's Straits Times attributes this job loss to outsourcing by developed world companies. In an effort to cut costs, many companies are hiring workers in developing countries since they are willing to work for far less than their counterparts in the US and Singapore. As the...

E.U. Looks at Travel Policy for Gay Couples

September 23, 2003
Free movement of labor between EU countries is, in the words of one EU official, "key for Europe's competitiveness". Yet, each nation's policy towards same-sex relationships complicates this freedom of movement. As of now, a spouse can immigrate with ease, whereas a domestic partner – same sex or otherwise – has difficulty moving into some EU countries but not others. As...