In The News

Richard Wilder May 25, 2006
Individuals have more reason to innovate when their governments carefully guard intellectual property rights. Authors Richard Wilder and Pravid Anand argue that India is more innovative than China, largely because of moves to protect intellectual property. The software industry is growing rapidly, not so much because of low costs and outsourcing, but because of innovations that are protected by...
Susan Carey May 24, 2006
After 9/11, the US airlines laid off more than 10,000 pilots, many still out of work. As US airlines struggle, the pilots take early retirements and fret about the safety of pension plans. Many abandon seniority systems or union protection in the US to land jobs with the booming aviation industry in China, India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. With a global shortage of skilled commercial...
Unmesh Kher May 23, 2006
People forced to pay their own health-care costs tend to hunt for bargains. As a result, medical tourism is booming, with patients in the US, Canada and UK scheduling flights to obtain surgery in India, Thailand, and other countries with trained physicians and procedures that cost 25 percent or less than those based in the US. Uninsured or underinsured patients in particular arrange for plastic...
Juliette Terzieff May 19, 2006
Bulgaria – with an education system ranking fifth in the world and students ranking 11th in mathematics – has the highest number of IT professionals per capita in the world. As a result, multinational firms look to Eastern Europe for relocation and labor. Other advantages of Eastern Europe include a developed infrastructure, economic and political stability as well as a central location to Africa...
Bruce Stokes May 18, 2006
L’économie de marché peut amener des bénéfices macroéconomiques, mais il fait aussi des victimes humaines- des ouvriers qui sont heureux de trouver un nouveau travail et moins bien payé. Les nations développées d’Europe, avec leurs protections sociales généreuses, tentent une série de stratégies pour entrer dans la compétition mondiale avec des nations dont la population a de plus faibles...
Bruce Stokes May 18, 2006
Free trade may offer macroeconomic benefits, but it also claims human victims – laid-off workers who are lucky to find new jobs for less pay. The developed nations of Europe, with established manufacturing centers and generous social benefits, employ a range of strategies to compete globally with nations that have lower wages and minimal social protections. The second in this two-part series...
Mei Fong May 16, 2006
Wal-Mart views China as the next frontier for profits, but the retailer’s non-union policy could prove a stumbling block in the People’s Republic. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions, known as the ACFTU is backed by the Chinese government and pushes for a change in Wal-Mart’s attitude. The Chinese union does not engage in collective bargaining, organizing more events and discussions about...