Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

New threat to skilled U.S. workers
The Seattle Times ^ | Tuesday, April 17, 2007 | Froma Harrop

Posted on 04/17/2007 5:48:48 PM PDT by A. Pole

The master plan, it seems, is to move perhaps 40 million high-skill American jobs to other countries. U.S. workers have not been consulted.

Princeton economist Alan Blinder predicts that these choice jobs could be lost in a mere decade or two. We speak of computer programming, bookkeeping, graphic design and other careers once thought firmly planted in American soil. For perspective, 40 million is more than twice the total number of people now employed in manufacturing.

Blinder was taken aback when, sitting in at the business summit in Davos, Switzerland, he heard U.S. executives talk enthusiastically about all the professional jobs they could outsource to lower-wage countries. And he's a free trader.

[...]

Ron Hira has studied the dark side of the H-1B program. A professor of public policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology, he notes that the top applicants for visas are outsourcing companies, such as Wipro Technologies of India and Bermuda-based Accenture.

The companies bring recruits in from, say, India to learn about American business. After three years here, the workers go home better able to interact with their U.S. customers.

In other cases, companies ask their U.S. employees to train H-1B workers who then replace them at lower pay. "This is euphemistically called, 'knowledge transfer,' " Hira says. "I call it, 'knowledge extraction.' "

[...]

The companies fret that not enough young Americans are studying science and technology. Well, cutting the pay in those fields isn't much of an incentive, is it?

[...]

This vision for a competitive America seems to be a few rich U.S. executives commandeering armies of foreign workers. They don't have to train their domestic workforce. They don't have to raise pay to American standards.

[...]

(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: cheaplabor; duncanhunter; h1bvisa; immigration; jobs; outsourcing; unions; visa; visas; wages
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121 next last
To: Freedom4US

Don’t want people to think?

You mean like in multi-cultural studies class?
Or in Climatology class?


81 posted on 04/18/2007 5:57:05 PM PDT by spintreebob (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: elmer fudd

what’s wrong with entry level, some college, no degree, starting at $40,000 or $70,000? What’s wrong with no degree but some experience at six figures?


82 posted on 04/18/2007 5:58:46 PM PDT by spintreebob (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: spintreebob

I mean in all avenues of life, even everyday routines, not just propaganda. Money is often involved, as anyone can imagine. For example, how many people notice that the items and services they buy are taxed many times over - years ago at least some recognition existed that taxing taxes was bad form.


83 posted on 04/18/2007 6:03:40 PM PDT by Freedom4US
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 81 | View Replies]

To: Age of Reason

In my suburb, the demand from foreigners drove up the prices of those middle class houses. The citizens who sold to the foreigners double or tripled their money in 5 years. (I’m greedy and holding out for an even bigger profit.)

To avoid taxes, those citizen seller then bought upper middle class houses. That increased demand drove up their prices and those sellers bought luxury houses. Trickle up was working.

Then the anti (illegal) immigrant rhetoric started creating uncertainty in the market. Markets don’t like uncertainty. Demand from foreigners evaporated. Prices fell. Those middle class homeowners were no longer able to sell their house and move up to the upper middle class house. The trickle up was killed by anti-free-market rhetoric.

I’m confident that such anti-free-market fears have peaked and will decline. The demand from foreigners will soon drive up prices again.


84 posted on 04/18/2007 6:06:32 PM PDT by spintreebob (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: spintreebob

Only in part and I’d venture a small part.


85 posted on 04/18/2007 6:10:15 PM PDT by Texas_Jarhead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]

To: spintreebob
PS - I think it was mostly just talk anyway but at least some lip service was paid to the notion of national well being.
86 posted on 04/18/2007 6:12:35 PM PDT by Texas_Jarhead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]

To: sten

capitalism (and even other economic theories)

Supply and demand. If you artificially restrict the supply of workers wages do not go up. Companies become inefficient and go out of business.

If you artificially restrict demand, unintended consequences also happen.

Affirmative Action is one example of artificially controlling supply and demand for labor. The result is not higher or lower wages. It is no jobs. Hiring people, not based on their ability, but based on the demographic group they belong to, is Affirmative Action. Restricting employment to the demographic group called citizens is Affirmative Action. People should not be hired because they are citizens. They should be hired because they are qualified. That way the company can be profitable and not lose out to the competition.


87 posted on 04/18/2007 6:13:02 PM PDT by spintreebob (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: abigailsmybaby

She needs to learn how to market herself.


88 posted on 04/18/2007 6:14:06 PM PDT by spintreebob (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: A. Pole

My employer was having a dificult time finding good people at $12/hr and had to raise the starting wage to $14 about a year ago.
Is that good or bad?

REALITY


89 posted on 04/18/2007 6:15:29 PM PDT by spintreebob (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: Freedom4US

I mean in all avenues of life, even everyday routines, not just propaganda.

I agree. Advertisers don’t want anyone to question their hype or think logically about it. The same with the weather and sports reporters and not just the news/political reporters. They say it will be partly cloudy and not partly sunny and don’t want anyone to argue with them.


90 posted on 04/18/2007 6:18:53 PM PDT by spintreebob (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 83 | View Replies]

To: spintreebob
Reality can be good or bad. If you get cancer it is reality and it is bad.

I am curious, do you think that it is good when workers have to be paid more?

91 posted on 04/18/2007 6:34:24 PM PDT by A. Pole (Hush Bimbo: "Low wage is good for you!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies]

To: spintreebob

Thanks. Tough paradigm.

Secure the borders, while giving ourselves more of the Tired, Poor Huddled Masses Yearning To Breathe Free and identify as United States American.

We can handle it. We already are, except the Public Sector (us) is straining as supply and demand works its invisible hand.

Speak English and have something to offer without a felonious record and I’d be glad to be your neighbor (for the most part).


92 posted on 04/18/2007 6:51:32 PM PDT by IslandJeff (There will be Democrats in heaven, except they'll be too busy organizing the staff)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: spintreebob
“It is possible for the size of the pie to grow; for productivity to grow; and for all of us (who try) to grow economically.”

Absolutely! But 40,000,000 high paying jobs outsourced in the coming years! Thats about 1/3 the entire work force!
You gotta admit if that were to happen, that would take a huge hunk of the pie right out of the country.

It just stinks that it seems that are so many kids out there who have no ambition and no drive to want to be successful and put the time in for the complex jobs. I guess that is why so many live at home with their parents well into their 20’s and even 30’s.

93 posted on 04/18/2007 6:55:52 PM PDT by MaDeuce (Do it to them, before they do it to you! (MaDeuce = John Browning's gift to freedom))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 80 | View Replies]

To: spintreebob
what’s wrong with entry level, some college, no degree, starting at $40,000 or $70,000? What’s wrong with no degree but some experience at six figures?

Nothing at all. If an entry level worker can find employment at those salaries, more power to him. Of course they are somewhat higher than average unless you happen to live in Manhatten or the job includes running convoys through Baghdad.

94 posted on 04/18/2007 7:38:08 PM PDT by elmer fudd (Fukoku kyohei)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 82 | View Replies]

To: spintreebob

Private Freepmail coming.


95 posted on 04/18/2007 7:47:39 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Myrddin

Private Freepmail coming.


96 posted on 04/18/2007 7:53:43 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Jeeves; spintreebob
I suspect in your West Loop example, a "great salary" as opposed to a "good salary" would have rapidly attracted just the right candidate.

I'm actually looking for a job ideally in the West Loop or Oak Park/Forest Park area, and I could tell you quickly enough whether the salary is competitive. I lived in the West Loop for almost five years, and basically know all that needs to be known about it.

97 posted on 04/18/2007 7:56:05 PM PDT by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: MaDeuce

I tell anyone currently in high school.

For the first 20 years, your parents take care of you.
For the next 20 years, some company will take care of you.
After that, you are on your own, or you had better be at C-Level in your company. You need to start thinking about having your own business to make a living off of while you are still in your 20s, so you can be ready by the time you’re 40.


98 posted on 04/18/2007 7:59:22 PM PDT by dfwgator (The University of Florida - Still Championship U)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 93 | View Replies]

To: IslandJeff
Secure the borders, while giving ourselves more of the Tired, Poor Huddled Masses Yearning To Breathe Free and identify as United States American.

We are long out of room. Enough with immigration of all kinds.

99 posted on 04/18/2007 9:27:12 PM PDT by Age of Reason
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 92 | View Replies]

To: Age of Reason
Enough with immigration of all kinds

Respectfully disagree. We're a mongrel, Constitutional nation with an undercurrent white-blood-cell English Common Law tradition. We have adapted to and accommodated immigrants in the past, and, if we can pare down the Public Sector weeds that choke our ideals, our Shining City on the Hill will flourish with the creativity, business, and ideals of the "wretched refuse" who will dare to expatriate and identify as "Hell Yes" Americans.

To become parochial at this point, what with the world's rising economic tide (courtesy mostly of Uncle Sam), regardless of political correctness, is self-immolating, IMHO.

100 posted on 04/18/2007 10:14:04 PM PDT by IslandJeff (There will be Democrats in heaven, except they'll be too busy organizing the staff)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 99 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson