In The News

Dying to Live

Gihan Shahine March 7, 2008
Many young throughout Africa set out on dangerous journeys north, searching for jobs in Europe. Some send back what seem like vast sums to their villages while others eventually return, building homes and sending their children to school. But some men never return or make contact, and their families are left to wonder whether the jobseekers died in the rough seas or wait in European holding camps...

Offshoring Spreads Its Wings

Kate O'Sullivan March 5, 2008
So far outsourcing has not been a big issue in the US presidential campaign because US voters and workers have accustomed themselves to the fact that companies look for skilled and low-wage workers all over the globe. The rate of companies reporting a reliance on offshore hires, more than 35 percent in all, has more than doubled since 2004, and the rate is even higher among the largest companies...

Patriotism Is Bad Business

Nayan Chanda March 3, 2008
Politicians strive for policies that boost exports. Setting any limits on imports, though, invites other countries to retaliate. “History is replete with examples of economic nationalism’s failure to roll back the quest for profit and good life that drives global trade,” writes Nayan Chanda in his column for Businessworld in India. Democratic candidates for US president, hoping to win approval...

The Lure of Protectionism in Ohio

Susan Froetschel, Morgan Robinson March 3, 2008
Ohio, part of the country’s Rust Belt, was a swing state in the 2004 US presidential election, and the state’s voters will play a big role deciding the 2008 Democratic nominee and probably the next president of the United States. Their choice might set the US agenda for global economy. As one of the country’s leading manufacturing states, Ohio suffers as companies shift factory jobs to low-wage...

Globalization “A Blessing” for West Europe

Chris Giles February 29, 2008
Globalization – by way of trade and off-shoring jobs – can eliminate inefficiency and add to the total number of jobs, reports the European Economic Advisory Group, an academic research group organized by the Ifo Institute in Munich. “Although the gains from trade have the side-effect of increasing inequality, the group recommends that governments avoid policies that try to preserve employment...

Promise of US Jobs Lures Migrants Who Vowed to Stay in Mexico

Alfredo Corchado February 25, 2008
Immigrants who resent harsh treatment in the US, particularly those who lack documentation, often return to Mexico. But the Mexican economy offers little in the way of jobs, wages or benefits available in the US. Individuals long to work and hometowns rely on remittances sent from the north. The Mexicans may return home and vow to stay, but many cannot resist pleas from friends in Texas and...

Best US Factory Jobs in Rising Jeopardy

Mark Trumbull February 20, 2008
Facing increasing competition and productivity from workers in low-wage nations, US manufacturers slash jobs and costs. One method in use by US car manufacturers is incentives to convince older workers to quit and replace them with less expensive younger workers who also receive fewer benefits. Analysts expect cost-cutting measures from the large foreign manufacturers like Honda or Toyota as well...