In The News

Significance of Wisconsin Union Battle

Ellen Ratner March 3, 2011
Nonviolent protests in Egypt toppled a harsh regime, attracting interest and inspiring activism around the globe. Legislation proposing spending cuts and eliminating most collective-bargaining rights for workers in the US state of Wisconsin – even though the workers accepted wage and other cuts – ignited protests in mid-February. Protesters gathered at the capitol building in Madison, refusing to...

Volatility in a Flash

Nayan Chanda March 2, 2011
Multinationals depend on intricate supply chains, with manufacturing plants based around the globe in locales offering low-cost labor and specialized skills, explains Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal editor in his regular column for Businessworld. Chanda points out that “The success and failure of 21st century companies is increasingly determined by the efficiency of their supply chain management.”...

The Experience Economy

David Brooks February 24, 2011
Consumers snap up the latest in electronic devices and regularly use sites like Facebook or Twitter. But such new inventions contribute a fraction of direct jobs produced by the automobile industry, notes David Brooks in his column for the New York Times. Brooks quotes Tyler Cowen’s e-book, “The Great Stagnation,” in suggesting that the US had a history of strong economic growth because of easy “...

Bahrain Security Forces Accused of Deliberately Recruiting Foreign Nationals

Ian Black February 17, 2011
Military, police and security forces are all that stand between citizens who yearn for greater rights and regimes who impose autocratic control. Egyptians managed to convince their president to walk away from power after the military refused to fire on non-violent protesters. Protesters demand similar reforms in Bahrain. But the Al Khalifa regime has recruited security details – specifically...

Apple Report Reveals Child Labor Increase

Tania Branigan February 15, 2011
Apple, which relies heavily on outsourcing, uses a portion of its record profits to audit suppliers for labor violations. “Apple said it had strengthened its checks on age because of concerns about the falsification of ages by such schools and labour agencies,” reports Tania Branigan for the Guardian. In an annual report on its manufacturers, the company reports that less than a third of audited...

Where Are the Jobs? For Many Companies, Overseas

Pallavi Gogoi January 4, 2011
The large and growing emerging markets of China, India and Brazil are a lure for multinational corporations in search of top revenue and profits. Job creation follows the markets, strengthening the middle class and education programs in emerging markets, particularly Asia. Companies like Caterpillar, Coca-Cola and DuPont hired more employees overseas in 2010 than in their home base of the US,...

Calls Mount Everywhere for Deportation of Illegal Immigrants

Joseph Chamie, Barry Mirkin December 20, 2010
Rags-to-riches tales of traders and adventurers who provided skills and innovations during their wanderings are among the more charming parts of world history. But such globalization could go into reverse in the modern era, even in democratic nations, as political parties rile voter anger over rising unemployment and security concerns, and make immigrants a scapegoat for economic crises, The top...