In The News

Afrikaners Reaping Colorado Wheat Threatened by Visa Cap

Alan Bjerga August 2, 2013
Wheat, like many crops, has a tight window for harvest, forcing farmers to move quickly before rain, wind or unseasonable temperatures strike. Foreigners account for one third of the labor force that harvests US wheat. Many small, skilled work crews come from South Africa during their off season to share combines and assist small US farms. Because wheat harvests are so mechanized, the small crews...

India Takes Lesson From China to Lure Workers to Garment Industry

Amy Kazmin July 30, 2013
India ranks as the world’s third largest exporter of garments. Government regulations once limited investment and factory size; with those lifted, some firms may follow China’s industry model by constructing dormitories to attract workers from poorer areas, reports Amy Kazmin for the Financial Times. “Despite the country’s vast, young labour force, India’s garment industry has struggled to...

US Tech Firms Look Abroad for Engineers

Kim Gittleson June 27, 2013
US tech companies have long complained that most slots in some US university math and tech programs are filled by foreign students, many of whom cannot stay in the country to work. The US reserves 65,000 H-1B visas for workers deemed “highly skilled” – covering not just engineers but teachers, telemarketers and outsourcing staff – and another 20,000 for foreigners with graduate degrees. Conducted...

The Quest for Green Jobs

Doaa Abdel Motaal June 27, 2013
The goal of sustainability is a clean environment for some, good jobs for others. Confusion is particularly acute in the area of renewable energy as countries accuse one another about unfair competition in solar panels, explains Doaa Abdel Motaal, deputy chief of staff for the World Trade Organization. “Much of the competition over green jobs ignores the fact that, in today's world,...

The New New World

June 13, 2013
As the debt crisis lingers in Europe, many countries cease to be magnets for mobile hands and brains. Confronting high unemployment rates at home, Europeans are shedding a fear of relocation, and new talent is heading toward developing countries with fast-growing economies like Mexico and Brazil. According to the World Bank, remittances from Brazil to Portugal are now greater than those from...

Limits of Saudi Oil Power

Fahad Nazer May 30, 2013
Saudi Arabia is facing multiple fronts for potential destabilization. A modern society and wealthy citizenry have depended on millions of skilled and unskilled foreign workers to build infrastructure and keep homes, banks and, restaurants running smoothly. Oil money is also behind tremendous investment in education and other social benefits. Yet fossil fuels are limited. Competition is keen as...

Europe’s Double Jeopardy

Nayan Chanda May 24, 2013
Reliance on austerity measures could still push Europe into recession. But political leaders are responding to criticism from the International Monetary Fund and others – that austerity failed to deliver economic relief. An end to belt-tightening could improve consumer demand, increasing hiring and government revenues, but an aging population and large numbers of unemployed youth pose challenges...