In The News

South Africa's Exodus

June 20, 2007
The South African government’s strategy for economic stability, pushing annual growth to 6 percent and controlling inflation, is threatened by spending outpacing productivity. A substantial shortage of skilled workers could lead to a rise in prices. The public sector bears most of the burden, with infrastructure crumbling, power outages becoming a common occurrence, and the need to import basics...

China's Conquest of Africa

Andreas Lorenz June 15, 2007
China is purchasing and investing in Africa’s natural resources and, in return, providing the continent with cheap consumer goods and a powerful trading partner. Not all Africans are pleased. Some, such as Michael Chilufya Sata, head of Zambia’s Patriotic Front, an opposition group, points out that the Chinese don’t have to pay taxes and warns voters that China could export dictatorship to Africa...

Megacities, Mega Dreams for a Connected World

Suketu Mehta June 14, 2007
Throughout the history of the world, cities have lured people for both cooperation and competition. Megacities of the modern era such as Bombay not only symbolize dreams and dashed hopes, they also pose an array of consequences for the interconnected world. The paradoxes are many, with disaster making way for renewal and today’s sacrifices and long-term planning delivering future promise, writes...

Should We Globalize Labor Too?

Jason DeParle June 13, 2007
Witnessing the quiet desperation of the poor, willing to work hard but lacking resources, often ignites anger and ideas. Neither trade nor traditional occupations such as goat-herding can provide enough subsistence for the rural poor, such as those who live in Nepal. Economist Lant Pritchett proposes “a giant guest-worker program that would put millions of the world’s poorest people to work in...

The Last 'Competitive Advantage': Letter From China

Jehangir S. Pocha June 12, 2007
Workers of the West resent the transfer of manufacturing jobs to China, as companies pursue cost advantages and low wages. With good jobs hard to come by, the Chinese have little choice but to work long days for low wages. Some employers withhold wages altogether. Allowing competition to take its course and viewing jobs of any sort as the best way to alleviate poverty, the Chinese government has...

Outsourcing Your Life

Ellen Gamerman June 11, 2007
No longer just a trend for big businesses, outsourcing can also eliminate some pesky personal tasks: categorizing family photos, editing home videos, tutoring, preparing invitations, and design of anything from dresses to garden landscapes to websites. Businesses and individuals alike hunt for projects that can be accomplished over the internet and appropriate freelancers. But choosing the proper...

Chinese Auto Parts Enter the Global Market

Keith Bradsher June 8, 2007
Auto parts are one of China’s fastest growing industrial exports, and more than half go to the US, the world’s largest market for automobiles. The rise in these exports are part of a larger trend, as China moves away from exporting basic items such as textiles and shoes toward more valued industrial goods. Such production means higher wages for Chinese workers, but also puts the nation in...