Outsourcing: a good thing

Quote from bundlemaker:

Sorry if this has already come up, I haven't read the whole thread carefully.

Consider, the first outsourcing is when one cave man collected berries, another hunted buffalo, and they traded with each other. When the fishing net was invented, it put a lot of fishermen out of work.

Sure, it hurt a lot if you were a fisherman. But, trying to fight the inevitable (government interference?) just prolonged the pain.

The sooner people figure this out, the faster the pain will go away.

Nice analogy Bundlemaker. The process you describe is all about productivity, which is all about economic wellfare.
 
AT&T to slash 4,600 jobs

No. 1 long-distance company says it would save about $400 million by cutting 8 percent of workforce.
February 25, 2004: 4:07 PM EST



NEW YORK (Reuters) - AT&T Corp. Wednesday told analysts it was planning to cut 8 percent of its workforce, or about 4,600 jobs, this year in a drive to cut costs.

The nation's largest long-distance company said the moves would save about $400 million this year, and leave it with about 57,000 employees.

AT&T (T: Research, Estimates) Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Thomas Horton said the company cut 18 percent of its workforce in 2003 and saved $800 million.
 
What happened to the days of the little mom n' pop operation...


Sad....

Michael B.



Quote from trade4succes:

Nice analogy Bundlemaker. The process you describe is all about productivity, which is all about economic wellfare.
 
Quote from Thunderdog:

I have no idea how outsourcing will play itself out in the end. In fact, I doubt that many, if any, do. On the one hand, there is economic advantage in parceling out work at a lower cost. The producer and consumer obviously get to share in the benefits of lower cost. Also, the country that gets the jobs benefits. So, ostensibly, we have a win-win-win scenario. Or do we?

On the other hand, the country is giving away jobs - a source of wealth and prosperity. And it is no longer only lower end employment that is involved. So called "knowledge workers" are being edged out in favor of lower cost alternatives abroad.

True, we now live in a "global village" of sorts. But I can't help but get the feeling that the growing trend towards outsourcing is the macroeconomic equivalent of a "buy now, pay later" deal. Perhaps that widget won't seem so cheap in a couple of years when you lose your job due to outsourcing and can't make your monthly widget instalment.

While I believe in free trade, I wonder if outsourcing on a meaningful scale is just a little too modern a concept for me to comfortably digest. It reminds me of the Atkins diet: eat plenty of fat and be healthy. I just have difficulty dealing with that kind of counterintuitive logic. Maybe it's just me.

I thought about this for a while.

A few possible scenarios;

A) The fishing net (offshoring) is invented and it is allowed for American fishing men. > Productivity UP > Prices DOWN > Many fishermen go out of business, but the fishing net using, high producing fisherman makes so much money, he hires the unemployed fishermen as entertainers, doctors, tax attorneys, whatever. > Jobs remain STABLE AND Economic welfare UP

B) The fishing net (offshoring) is invented, but it is disallowed for American fishermen. Situation remains STABLE, but a chance for economic advancement is gone.

C) The fishing net (offshoring) is invented, but disallowed for American fishermen. Canadian fishermen are allowed to use fishing nets. > Price of fish DOWN > American fishermen lose their jobs.

Quote from ElectricSavant:

What happened to the days of the little mom n' pop operation...


Sad....

Michael B.

What happened to the days of pneumonia leading to almost certain death?
 
I forgot something:

C) The fishing net (offshoring) is invented, but disallowed for American fishermen. Canadian fishermen are allowed to use fishing nets. > Price of fish DOWN > American fishermen lose their jobs. > US$ DOWN until American fish becomes attractive again for Canadian customers > American fishermen fish again with their fishing rods, but in exchange for their fish they receive less maple syrup than before the dollar drop. > Economic welfare DOWN

And in anticipation for those members who are thinking: but we have to pay the workers offshore our $'s: What do you think those workers are going to do with the US coin? Not burn it I can assure you. In order to get something for it, they have to spend it or invest it in the US. So it doesn't make a difference at all.

If I am still unclear please let me know.
 
It's not a coincidence that the economy with the highest GDP has the highest amount of service industry. (US +- 80%, Europe 60/70%, China way down). That's because after food and basic industry has been taking care off in high productivity, the freed up workers will be hired in more advanced functions.

 
Outsourcing is great for capitalists because they can now find cheaper labor and open new markets globally.

Outsourcing is good for labor in certain poor countries because they will get more jobs.

Outsourcing is generally bad for labor in rich countries because they will be more likely to lose their jobs.

Therefore, depending on what you do, outsourcing could be great or bad for you.

Personally, I believe as outsourcing enriches the corporations and capitalists far more than everyone else, they should be taxed more to compensate the people hurt by outsourcing. But as long as the Republicans are in power, that is not likely to happen.
 
Quote from le140:

We refuse to take low paying jobs while enjoying the dirt cheap toys that we buy from Costco and Walmart and complaining that jobs are lost to oversea's workers?

You cant have your cake and eat it too. Either you work just as hard as a Chinese worker with no health care/retirement benefits and live in a crowded with unsanitary conditions or live in the good old USA with all our freedom and cheap toys that thanks to our goverment help turned other nations to semi slavery factories.

Now where is that low paying job that nobody wants? There are tons of them out there but our standards are so hi that we spit at them.

With all the problems that we have, most citizens from poor countries would give their 1st born to live here.

I have been to many poor parts of the world and see how hard they have to work, and it's so great to pay all that taxes and enjoying my big screen plasma. Geez, even if we are being taxed hier, it's still a great place to be.

hehe thats funny. my aunt used to clean houses before illegal mexicans took it over (in Connecticut). before illegals took over guess who filled those positions?

it comes down to one question - how come the CEO/VP positions are not outsourced?
 
Quote from misctrader:

AT&T to slash 4,600 jobs

No. 1 long-distance company says it would save about $400 million by cutting 8 percent of workforce.
February 25, 2004: 4:07 PM EST



NEW YORK (Reuters) - AT&T Corp. Wednesday told analysts it was planning to cut 8 percent of its workforce, or about 4,600 jobs, this year in a drive to cut costs.

The nation's largest long-distance company said the moves would save about $400 million this year, and leave it with about 57,000 employees.

AT&T (T: Research, Estimates) Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Thomas Horton said the company cut 18 percent of its workforce in 2003 and saved $800 million.

would not productivity be higher if you kept the 4600 employees and got rid of a a couple VPs?
 
Who would take me to lunch then? a factory worker?

Michael B.


Quote from fxtrading:

would not productivity be higher if you kept the 4600 employees and got rid of a a couple VPs?
 
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