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There is now a much more widespread expectation of strong economic growth. As many as 52% of respondents expect FY ’04 gross domestic product (GDP) to grow at 6.5%. A significant 37% even expected the GDP growth to hit the 7% figure. This is much higher than the growth recorded in recent years. Some research agencies have already put out GDP projections of 6 to 6.5% for FY ’04. This is the lastest figures on the GDP for next year. If we hit over 6% (low end) the country will be at full employment. It always happens in a booming ecomony (Bill Clinton's 20 million jobs). I know it is hard to tell someone who is unemployed to have a little patience, but soon, real soon, it will be an employee market again.

Next, do you realize that half the people on this planet never touched a computer screen? Do you realize that there is an explosive technology boom (telecommunications & Information Technology) happening worldwide? Do you realize that it would be stupid for American companies not to have a presence overseas to take advantage? Soon, the world will not be able to meet the demand for I/T professionals and require American solutions.

Also, American companies are in a business cycle where they must upgrade their I/T to survive. They held back too long due the to terrorist threat and their aging equipment is degrading. Look for renewed spending as the cash flows in.

Stop and think a little here!!

What makes you think it has to be an American Solution they seek??

We are not dealing with people living in grass huts and driving rickshaws!

We are dealing with human beings that can think just as much as me or you, and in some cass have better educations, and also a work force that is twice the size of our own to select the best and brightest from to choose who does what and when...

And we already gave them the hardware to do the work with, we trained them to do the thinking and how, and we sent the the contracts to make the capital investment with...

Why on Earth do they need to come here for anything anymore?

Name one thing we do here that we havent given away already?

Name one technology that is not in immediate danger of being outsourced or off-shored? The only one I can think of is Nuclear Submarines!

Soon, the world will not be able to meet the demand for I/T professionals and require American solutions.

I don't think you realize how fast the changes are in IT professions. While American programmers are standing in unemployment lines, or cleaning carpets to try to stay afloat, it will be the Indian programmers keeping up with new innovations. Americans are too busy looking for work and why take classes when there are no jobs for Americans? Our government has chosen for us to drop out of the IT industry. Just as it has chosen for us to drop out of machine tooling and the garment industry.

You are so right. Consider evidence from KOREA, where the change from dial-up to broadband created a TENFOLD increase in computer-related jobs, products, and productivity.

We haven't scratched the surface of the tech revolution yet--indeed, some of the layoffs we're seeing are the direct result of both companies and employees not seeing the value that they once added to a product, but no longer add.

It is all about adding value. If you don't add it, you have no reason to complain about losing/not having a job. YOU are responsible for your job, even if someone "hires" you, because it is only your productivity and value to the company that gives you a job in the first place.

In the hardware area, the passage of time and the effect of Moore's law means that you can now get a lot more for a lot less. I don't think hardware spending will rise a lot.

In the licensed software area, overall revenues may also fall due to the availability of open source software for many fundamental functions, and due to the fact that many of the basic platforms that are common across firms have already been deployed.

The area that is growing is professional services, consulting and firm-specific development projects. But this is also the area targeted by the off-shore consultancies.

Don't blame the evil corporations for this mess. Corporations that have tried to hold the line have gone bankrupt because of price competition from corporations taking advantage of lower cost foreign workers and services. As long as the American consumer is driven by price instead of the "Made in America" label this will continue.