Jobs are the lifeblood for national economies and family budgets. The search for economic opportunity often drives people to move around the globe. The most educated and highly skilled workers are in demand, and immigration policies often reflect that priority. Less skilled would-be immigrants, however, are often subject to tighter restrictions – even in nations where native citizens refuse to take on harvesting, construction, cleaning or other difficult tasks. Advanced technology reduces the need for labor; employers also rely on outsourcing, contract workers and the internet for digital work, including tax preparation, X-ray analysis or graphic design. Nations fiercely compete for jobs while multinational corporations reduce labor costs to increase profits.

China's Outsourcing Appeal Dimming

Rising fuel prices force manufacturers on both sides of the Pacific to adapt
Ariana Eunjung Cha
September 11, 2008

Outsourcing at Crux of Boeing Strike

The union wants a chance to compete for company work and prevent delays
J. Lynn Lunsford
September 9, 2008

Globalization and Politics

Outsourcing, like all forms of globalization, ebbs and flows like the tides
Nayan Chanda
September 17, 2008

High-Tech Ties Bridge Mideast Divide

Programs that encourage Palestinians and Israelis working and trading together promote peace
Robert W. Gee
September 8, 2008

India's Call Centers Face Struggle to Keep Staff as Economy Revives

Demands for higher wages threaten India's image as a low-labor cost alternative for US corporations
Ashok Bhattacharjee
October 29, 2003