In The News

When Germans Join Migrant Field Hands, the Harvest Suffers

Andreas Tzortzis June 1, 2006
Polish nurses take time off during the asparagus harvest in Germany, where they can earn six months of nursing wages with only two months in the fields. Polish migrants traditionally harvest the spring asparagus crop in Germany – and appreciate the pay for work that is long and strenuous. The system pleased both migrants and farmers, but the German Labor Ministry – responding to a 11 percent...

The West Is Teeming with Africans Doing Odd Jobs Because Our Leaders Can’t Provide Vision or Hope

Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem May 31, 2006
The narratives of illegal immigration in both Europe and North America often focus on the problems faced by receiving countries or the trials of those forced to live covert lives in foreign lands. The exodus of citizens from underdeveloped states, however, imposes the most harm on the countries that are abandoned. Author Abdul-Raheem describes the irony of sitting on a plane next to a man who...

US Plan to Lure Nurses May Hurt Poor Nations

Celia W. Dugger May 30, 2006
The US is the wealthiest and healthiest country in the world, but has no qualms about enticing nurses from poor countries. The US Senate, in approving its version of immigration reform, has included a clause that would remove any limits on the number of nurses allowed into the country through 2014. The sponsor of the legislation suggests that the bill would attract more nurses from India and the...

Transcript of “The Disposable American: Layoffs and Their Consequences”

May 30, 2006
The following is a transcript of Nayan Chanda's interview with Louis Uchitelle, economics writer for “The New York Times” and also the author of “The Disposable American: Layoffs and Their Consequences,” conducted on May 11, 2006. – YaleGlobal

Slash and Burn

Saumya Roy May 26, 2006
In developing countries, farmers often rely on growing cotton for their livelihoods. But heavy loans, power and water shortages, and natural disasters have made growing cotton a dangerous venture. Farmers facing failure in India often resort to suicide. Meanwhile wealthy governments like the US subsidize their cotton farmers, contributing to a global glut in cotton and sinking prices. Monopoly...

“I’ll Make It to Europe, Or Die Trying”

Matthias Gebauer May 25, 2006
Mauritania, like other African countries, offers a desperate future. Residents age with a fatalism born of a failed education system, joblessness and constant violence. Any endeavor to escape is a testament to the human spirit, and many pin their hopes on a treacherous Atlantic journey to Europe. The risk often ends in death or disappointment as patrols from Europe capture makeshift boats,...

With Jobs Scarce, US Pilots Sign on at Foreign Airlines

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...