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.

Managing Globalization: Has It Hurt US Workers?

Declining wages, not the loss of jobs, is the challenge for US labor
Daniel Altman
April 18, 2007

India’s Skills Famine

Ongoing economic success demands poverty reduction and investments in education
James Surowiecki
April 18, 2007

Romania, a Poor Land, Imports Poorer Workers

Romania’s skilled workers take off for jobs in Europe’s wealthiest nations, leaving a vacuum at home
Matthew Brunwasser
April 16, 2007

Eastern Europe Becomes a Center for Outsourcing

The most skilled workers in Eastern Europe no longer have to leave home to find jobs with multinational firms
John Tagliabue
April 30, 2007

Unions for a Global Economy

Unions fight fire with fire, adopting the tools of globalization to unite workers around the world
Harold Meyerson
May 3, 2007