Outsourcing Of Jobs Research Articles

Is There a Causal Effect of High School Math on Labor Market Outcomes?

Outsourcing of jobs to low-wage countries has increased the focus on the accumulation of skills - such as Math skills - in high-wage countries. In this paper, we exploit a high school pilot scheme to identify the causal effect of advanced high school Math on labor market outcomes. The pilot scheme reduced the costs of choosing advanced Math because it allowed for at more flexible combination of Math with other courses. We find clear evidence of a causal relationship between Math and earnings for the students who are induced to choose Math after being exposed to the pilot scheme. The effect partly stems from the fact that these students end up with higher education.

Outsourcing: Pros and cons

Overseas outsourcing of jobs is far more complicated than is generally understood. Pressures to outsource range from better-serving overseas markets to increasing the competitiveness of American business. Outsourcing—domestic and international—responds to management's desire to focus the firm's in-house activities on its core competence. A negative side to outsourcing results from companies doing so simply because “everybody is doing it.” They may be surprised by accompanying factors such as unexpected costs and complications, as well. Governmental policymakers need to realize that foreign companies outsource more business services to the United States than American firms send overseas.

The truth about outsourcing

The outsourcing of jobs has become a red herring for the media and politicians. Outsourcing is a normal, healthy part of the evolution in the US workforce - one that creates American jobs, boosts productivity, and improves the standard of living for all US citizens. In fact, far more US workers lose their jobs to technology than to outsourcing. But an interesting phenomenon occurs as economies seek greater efficiency: low-quality jobs are destroyed, while high-quality jobs are created. Another reality ignored in the outsourcing debate is the business the rest of the world outsources to the US.

Here Today, Outsourced Tomorrow: Knowledge Workers in the Global Economy

Outsourcing of jobs, particularly the growing practice of sending the jobs of U.S. knowledge and communication sector workers to other countries, has become a significant issue in academic, policy and media circles.The paper begins by defining knowledge workers and summarising debates about their significance dating from the 1950s. Next it considers prevailing views about the problem which centre on the fear of massive job loss to low-wage nations like India and China and prevailing solutions offered by labour- stop outsourcing wherever possible, and by business-outsourcing can only be curtailed when business and labour grow smarter. Each of these views conveys an essential truth but each deals only with symptoms of a significant transformation in the international division of labour. Understanding this transformation, and the role of information and communication technologies, leads us to consider key dimensions in the complexity of outsourcing: developed nations like Canada and Ireland have benefited as recipients of outsourced jobs; less developed nations like India are not just recipients of outsourced jobs, they are beginning to lead the process; in spite of “end of geography” promises, place matters and culture counts; and, finally, resistance takes a multiplicity of forms.

Trends and dynamics of youth suicides in developing countries

Global suicide rates have been fluctuating over recent decades decreasing in developed countries such as the USA countries in the European Union and Japan and increasing in eastern Europe especially in Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union Sri Lanka and China. What appears to be common in the countries that had increasing suicide rates is the sociocultural upheaval brought about by changes in the political and economic system leading to free markets and open society. One striking aspect of the suicide rates in southern India is a higher suicide rate in girls than boys which has also been observed in China and Singapore. The question of whether the politico-economical and sociocultural upheaval affects the younger population especially girls more than other groups is an important area for further study. However one can surmise that intergenerational and gender conflicts are more intense in a traditional agricultural society transforming into an egalitarian industrial society than in stable developed countries. March 1 issues of both Time and Newsweek magazines covered outsourcing of jobs from the USA to India and the accompanying socioeconomic and cultural changes. A report from Sri Lanka which has the highest national suicide rate in the world described possible reasons for high suicide rates: conflicts between collectivism and individualism rigid hierarchical structure repressive education and influence of foreign culture through cinema and television. (excerpt)