Where America's jobs went

[Bfgrn]

In a globalized economy, American corporations are rapidly shifting their workforces abroad

An employee in Ford's mexico-based
factory works on a car; The U.S.
automaker's international expansion has
caused a 16 percent drop in it's
American-employed workforce.

SEE ALL 28 PHOTOS

Why aren’t U.S. corporations hiring?
Actually, many of them are. They’re just not hiring Americans. In the two years after the Wall Street meltdown triggered the Great Recession, large American corporations slashed U.S. payrolls by a net of 500,000 jobs. At the same time, they hired 729,000 workers overseas. As globalization transforms the world economy, in fact, many U.S.-based companies are shifting the balance of their workforces overseas. Ford, for example, reported in 1992 that 53 percent of its employees worked in the U.S. and Canada. By 2009, its North American workforce (by then Ford had expanded to Mexico) made up only 37 percent of total payroll. With 53 percent of big U.S. firms implementing offshoring strategies, “there is no job security now,” said Lauren Asplen of the IUE-CWA, an electrical-workers union.

When did offshoring become so prevalent?
The trend began in earnest in the late 1970s at large manufacturers such as General Electric. GE’s then CEO, Jack Welch, who was widely respected by other corporate chieftains, argued that public corporations owe their primary allegiance to stockholders, not employees. Therefore, Welch said, companies should seek to lower costs and maximize profits by moving operations wherever is cheapest. “Ideally,” Welch said, “you’d have every plant you own on a barge to move with currencies and changes in the economy.” Not only did GE offshore much of its manufacturing, so did its parts suppliers, which were instructed at GE-orchestrated “supplier migration seminars” to “migrate or be out of business.”

Is offshoring limited to manufacturing?
It used to be, until the Internet boom of the 1990s made it a white-collar phenomenon, too. As economic globalization gathers speed and technology erases geographic boundaries, firms now have instant access to educated workers all over the planet, allowing enormous service companies and small businesses alike to hire Web designers in Thailand, graphics specialists in India, and seismologists in Pakistan. White-collar workers who once seemed immune to offshoring—lawyers, financial analysts, even local newspaper reporters—are now in peril of seeing their jobs shifted to India, Eastern Europe, or China. In recent years, 13 of every 100 U.S. computer-programming jobs shifted overseas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, making it the most at-risk occupation in America. “Any job you can think of now can be done by someone on the other side of the world for less cost,” said Matt Barrie, CEO of Freelance.com, which matches employers and freelancers around the world.

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"With all their faults, trade unions have done more for humanity than any other organization of men that ever existed"
Clarence Darrow

 

[The Dude]

How many jobs do we get related to exporting US goods?

 

[WinterBorn]

In a globalized economy, American corporations are rapidly shifting their workforces abroad

An employee in Ford's mexico-based
factory works on a car; The U.S.
automaker's international expansion has
caused a 16 percent drop in it's
American-employed workforce.

SEE ALL 28 PHOTOS

Why aren’t U.S. corporations hiring?
Actually, many of them are. They’re just not hiring Americans. In the two years after the Wall Street meltdown triggered the Great Recession, large American corporations slashed U.S. payrolls by a net of 500,000 jobs. At the same time, they hired 729,000 workers overseas. As globalization transforms the world economy, in fact, many U.S.-based companies are shifting the balance of their workforces overseas. Ford, for example, reported in 1992 that 53 percent of its employees worked in the U.S. and Canada. By 2009, its North American workforce (by then Ford had expanded to Mexico) made up only 37 percent of total payroll. With 53 percent of big U.S. firms implementing offshoring strategies, “there is no job security now,” said Lauren Asplen of the IUE-CWA, an electrical-workers union.

When did offshoring become so prevalent?
The trend began in earnest in the late 1970s at large manufacturers such as General Electric. GE’s then CEO, Jack Welch, who was widely respected by other corporate chieftains, argued that public corporations owe their primary allegiance to stockholders, not employees. Therefore, Welch said, companies should seek to lower costs and maximize profits by moving operations wherever is cheapest. “Ideally,” Welch said, “you’d have every plant you own on a barge to move with currencies and changes in the economy.” Not only did GE offshore much of its manufacturing, so did its parts suppliers, which were instructed at GE-orchestrated “supplier migration seminars” to “migrate or be out of business.”

Is offshoring limited to manufacturing?
It used to be, until the Internet boom of the 1990s made it a white-collar phenomenon, too. As economic globalization gathers speed and technology erases geographic boundaries, firms now have instant access to educated workers all over the planet, allowing enormous service companies and small businesses alike to hire Web designers in Thailand, graphics specialists in India, and seismologists in Pakistan. White-collar workers who once seemed immune to offshoring—lawyers, financial analysts, even local newspaper reporters—are now in peril of seeing their jobs shifted to India, Eastern Europe, or China. In recent years, 13 of every 100 U.S. computer-programming jobs shifted overseas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, making it the most at-risk occupation in America. “Any job you can think of now can be done by someone on the other side of the world for less cost,” said Matt Barrie, CEO of Freelance.com, which matches employers and freelancers around the world.

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"With all their faults, trade unions have done more for humanity than any other organization of men that ever existed"
Clarence Darrow

Over regulation by the gov't has had a big hand in sending jobs overseas, but you won't take credit for that one, will you?

These corporations that you hate so much and want to use as a scapegoat? Now you want them to stay? Isn't that convenient? I guess having your cash-cow and ready-made scapegoat disappear makes your blame game a bit tough, doesn't it?

As long as you see corporations as the adversary, and your liberal gov't policies make our gov't work against big business too, they will continue to bail out.

 

[Bfgrn]

Over regulation by the gov't has had a big hand in sending jobs overseas, but you won't take credit for that one, will you?

These corporations that you hate so much and want to use as a scapegoat? Now you want them to stay? Isn't that convenient? I guess having your cash-cow and ready-made scapegoat disappear makes your blame game a bit tough, doesn't it?

As long as you see corporations as the adversary, and your liberal gov't policies make our gov't work against big business too, they will continue to bail out.

Bullshit...There are so many loopholes in the corporate tax laws that corporations like Exxon Mobil and GE pay ZERO corporate tax.

Even at ZERO, there is no way Americans workers can compete with 3rd world wages...EVER.

Here's what we do...we tax the living shit out of corporations...for every America job they create, they get a tax reduction. If they create enough domestic jobs, they pay no taxes.

If they want to outsource jobs and pay wages that support squalor, then let the CEO's go live in that squalor.

They are nothing but UN-American pieces of shit.

Over regulation is not the problem, unless YOU want to live in squalor and a cesspool of toxins...

You fucking right wing scum bags are proof communism is conservative. Russia is an ultra-conservative country and you right wing scum bags would create another Soviet Union if you had your way...an environmental nightmare.

 

[WinterBorn]

Bullshit...There are so many loopholes in the corporate tax laws that corporations like Exxon Mobil and GE pay ZERO corporate tax.

Even at ZERO, there is no way Americans workers can compete with 3rd world wages...EVER.

Here's what we do...we tax the living shit out of corporations...for every America job they create, they get a tax reduction. If they create enough domestic jobs, they pay no taxes.

If they want to outsource jobs and pay wages that support squalor, then let the CEO's go live in that squalor.

They are nothing but UN-American pieces of shit.

Over regulation is not the problem, unless YOU want to live in squalor and a cesspool of toxins...

You fucking right wing scum bags are proof communism is conservative. Russia is an ultra-conservative country and you right wing scum bags would create another Soviet Union if you had your way...an environmental nightmare.

And you wonder why they leave? Look at this post you just made. You want to "we tax the living shit out of corporations"? That is brilliant. Lets run them out and then be pissed when they leave.

Tax the living shit out of them and then give them a deduction for every job they create? So they create hundreds of minimum wage jobs for the tax break and no one gets anywhere? Or are you just trying to put them out of the progress loop? No automated assemblylines, no robotics ect, because it will cost them in your "Tax the Shit Out Of Corporations Plan".


Yes, over-regulation IS a problem. I work in some of the most over-regulated areas in our economy, the safety side. Gov't regulations require a written evacuation plan be posted in every office or workspace. My predecessor got us fined because he refused to hang an evacuation map in one of our corporate offices. The man in that office is a lawyer and an CPA. His door frame is 8 inches from the door frame of the nearest exit. Looking out his window he can see the exit door, the mat outside and the awning above the door. But we paid a fine every year until I took over the dept.

I am not anti-regulations. I am all for environmental regulations, OSHA regulations, DOT regulations ect. But what the gov't has done is to take a perfectly good plan and over-extend its reach, scope and detail to create a huge bureacracy that can actually defeat the purpose for which it was designed.

And look, if you want to discuss an issue, I have no problems. But if you want to spout blatantly wrong accusations and call names, find someone else to play your childish games.

 

[Bfgrn]

And you wonder why they leave? Look at this post you just made. You want to "we tax the living shit out of corporations"? That is brilliant. Lets run them out and then be pissed when they leave.

Tax the living shit out of them and then give them a deduction for every job they create? So they create hundreds of minimum wage jobs for the tax break and no one gets anywhere? Or are you just trying to put them out of the progress loop? No automated assemblylines, no robotics ect, because it will cost them in your "Tax the Shit Out Of Corporations Plan".


Yes, over-regulation IS a problem. I work in some of the most over-regulated areas in our economy, the safety side. Gov't regulations require a written evacuation plan be posted in every office or workspace. My predecessor got us fined because he refused to hang an evacuation map in one of our corporate offices. The man in that office is a lawyer and an CPA. His door frame is 8 inches from the door frame of the nearest exit. Looking out his window he can see the exit door, the mat outside and the awning above the door. But we paid a fine every year until I took over the dept.

I am not anti-regulations. I am all for environmental regulations, OSHA regulations, DOT regulations ect. But what the gov't has done is to take a perfectly good plan and over-extend its reach, scope and detail to create a huge bureacracy that can actually defeat the purpose for which it was designed.

And look, if you want to discuss an issue, I have no problems. But if you want to spout blatantly wrong accusations and call names, find someone else to play your childish games.

Listen little boy, I have witnessed the destruction of America in my lifetime, not by government, not by social programs, but decimated and destroyed by corporations. It is truly sad that we were never taught the REAL lesson of the Boston Tea Party. Corporate tax breaks create monopolies and destroy community based economies. The Wal-Marting of America has created a shit load of British East India Companies. They offer us NOTHING but low paying jobs, cheap garbage goods and they eviscerated every small business, skill, and trade passed on from one generation to the next.

Do yourself a favor...turn on Nick at night and watch some shows from the 50's like Leave it to Beaver...pay attention to the landscape when they go into town...notice the butcher shops, bakeries, hardware stores, grocers and clothes stores...ALL small, community based businesses...

 

[The Dude]

bf's weekly rant on evil corps
should be used by parents to show why one should go to college.

Beg them to come back after you shit on them. if that doesn't work come up with your own special tax loophole.
You are kidding me droupout! Really

 

[WinterBorn]

Listen little boy, I have witnessed the destruction of America in my lifetime, not by government, not by social programs, but decimated and destroyed by corporations. It is truly sad that we were never taught the REAL lesson of the Boston Tea Party. Corporate tax breaks create monopolies and destroy community based economies. The Wal-Marting of America has created a shit load of British East India Companies. They offer us NOTHING but low paying jobs, cheap garbage goods and they eviscerated every small business, skill, and trade passed on from one generation to the next.

Do yourself a favor...turn on Nick at night and watch some shows from the 50's like Leave it to Beaver...pay attention to the landscape when they go into town...notice the butcher shops, bakeries, hardware stores, grocers and clothes stores...ALL small, community based businesses...

First of all, I am not basing my political views on shows seen on Nick at Night.

Walmart has also offered lower prices so more people can buy more of the things they want and need. You don't like that? Walmart's stock is also helping plenty of senior citizens retire. Also, if you want people to make a good living wage, how about figuring how how to educate them where they have an actual SKILL. Or should they be paid $30 an hour for being an idiot?

Corporations have not destroyed anything. If funny that, when given a choice, the people will choose walmart and big corporations. And then you blame the corporations.


BTW, Sam's butcher shop only employed 2 people. The walmart meat dept at my local walmart employs 4 or 5 people.

 

[The Dude]

bf drive through the big city of towering glass corp structures that you can't work at because you dropped out.

The difference now is most people who want to excel go to college.

 

[cawacko]

Listen little boy, I have witnessed the destruction of America in my lifetime, not by government, not by social programs, but decimated and destroyed by corporations. It is truly sad that we were never taught the REAL lesson of the Boston Tea Party. Corporate tax breaks create monopolies and destroy community based economies. The Wal-Marting of America has created a shit load of British East India Companies. They offer us NOTHING but low paying jobs, cheap garbage goods and they eviscerated every small business, skill, and trade passed on from one generation to the next.

Do yourself a favor...turn on Nick at night and watch some shows from the 50's like Leave it to Beaver...pay attention to the landscape when they go into town...notice the butcher shops, bakeries, hardware stores, grocers and clothes stores...ALL small, community based businesses...

In the 1950's we also didn't have a global intertwined economy like we do today. In theory it may be nice if the world could have stayed like it was in the 1950's but the reality is times change and you are either a leader in creating that change (as the U.S. has been) or you fall way behind those that do.

 

[Bfgrn]

First of all, I am not basing my political views on shows seen on Nick at Night.

Walmart has also offered lower prices so more people can buy more of the things they want and need. You don't like that? Walmart's stock is also helping plenty of senior citizens retire. Also, if you want people to make a good living wage, how about figuring how how to educate them where they have an actual SKILL. Or should they be paid $30 an hour for being an idiot?

Corporations have not destroyed anything. If funny that, when given a choice, the people will choose walmart and big corporations. And then you blame the corporations.


BTW, Sam's butcher shop only employed 2 people. The walmart meat dept at my local walmart employs 4 or 5 people.

I am not asking you to base your political views on shows seen on Nick at Night. I am trying to educate you wet behind the ears right wingers youngins' on how America built a vibrant middle class.

Wal-Mart lower prices on SOME items, not all. The trade off...NO jobs to buy items, or low paying jobs that we must subsidize, the destruction of community based economies and serfdom.

One 200-employee Wal-Mart store may cost federal taxpayers $420,000 per year because of the need for federal aid (such as housing assistance, tax credits, and health insurance assistance) for Wal-Mart's low-wage employees.

Even if Sam's butcher shop only employed 2 people (HIGHLY unlikely), there was also, Joe's, Bill's, Ed's, John's, Paul's, etc, etc, etc. That is only one trade or skill that has been destroyed. There are hundreds of others that have been steamrolled by BIG.

The American people are stakeholders in the economy. Corporations are only loyal to shareholders. You right wing corporate ass lickers need to understand the difference. Morons like DUD/Lowspin don't understand cost externalization, he runs and hides every time I confront him on it.

A true free market works extremely well when every one involved is a stakeholder. Because each individual shares the same schools, community services, air, water and ecological environment. The market often fails when there is absentee participation. Very similar to absentee landlords, they don't have any stake in keeping up the neighborhood.

 

[Rune]

First of all, I am not basing my political views on shows seen on Nick at Night.

Walmart has also offered lower prices so more people can buy more of the things they want and need. You don't like that? Walmart's stock is also helping plenty of senior citizens retire. Also, if you want people to make a good living wage, how about figuring how how to educate them where they have an actual SKILL. Or should they be paid $30 an hour for being an idiot?

Corporations have not destroyed anything. If funny that, when given a choice, the people will choose walmart and big corporations. And then you blame the corporations.


BTW, Sam's butcher shop only employed 2 people. The walmart meat dept at my local walmart employs 4 or 5 people.

Low prices but at what cost? You get what you pay for. There is no magic. Cheap crap doesn't last, you buy it again, where is the savings then?

 

[WinterBorn]

I am not asking you to base your political views on shows seen on Nick at Night. I am trying to educate you wet behind the ears right wingers youngins' on how America built a vibrant middle class.

Tell you what, since I am well past my half century mark, how about you spare me the "wet behind the ears" bullshit, m'kay?

Wal-Mart lower prices on SOME items, not all. The trade off...NO jobs to buy items, or low paying jobs that we must subsidize, the destruction of community based economies and serfdom.

One 200-employee Wal-Mart store may cost federal taxpayers $420,000 per year because of the need for federal aid (such as housing assistance, tax credits, and health insurance assistance) for Wal-Mart's low-wage employees.

Even if Sam's butcher shop only employed 2 people (HIGHLY unlikely), there was also, Joe's, Bill's, Ed's, John's, Paul's, etc, etc, etc. That is only one trade or skill that has been destroyed. There are hundreds of others that have been steamrolled by BIG.

The American people are stakeholders in the economy. Corporations are only loyal to shareholders. You right wing corporate ass lickers need to understand the difference. Morons like DUD/Lowspin don't understand cost externalization, he runs and hides every time I confront him on it.

A true free market works extremely well when every one involved is a stakeholder. Because each individual shares the same schools, community services, air, water and ecological environment. The market often fails when there is absentee participation. Very similar to absentee landlords, they don't have any stake in keeping up the neighborhood.

You want higher wages for employees. But how many of those employees have actual skills? How many know any trade at all?

Also, you are ranting against what the people want. You give them a choice between good quality, locally owned businesses and Walmart, and what do you think they will do?

And very much like absentee landlords or present landlords, renters have far less stake in their neighborhoods and they are almost never as well kept as homeowner dominant neighborhoods.

 

[Guns Guns Guns]

.... I am well past my half century mark...

That would be chronologically. How about intellectually?

 

[Bfgrn]

Tell you what, since I am well past my half century mark, how about you spare me the "wet behind the ears" bullshit, m'kay?



You want higher wages for employees. But how many of those employees have actual skills? How many know any trade at all?

Also, you are ranting against what the people want. You give them a choice between good quality, locally owned businesses and Walmart, and what do you think they will do?

And very much like absentee landlords or present landlords, renters have far less stake in their neighborhoods and they are almost never as well kept as homeowner dominant neighborhoods.

Many of those skills have been lost by years of corporate takeover. The father to son skills handed down from one generation to the next. The business acumen handed down from one generation to the next. The wealth of civic leaders that were cultivated through the local business community. Plus the customer service and knowledge a consumer could glean. Go to a Wal-Mart and ask an employee in the hardware department what you need for a home project...IF you can find one.

YES, the Wal-Mart is just like a renter...no stake in their neighborhoods

 

[Guns Guns Guns]

As Jack Welch, the former CEO of zero-tax-paying GE put it, "Ideally, you'd have every plant you own on a barge to move with currencies and changes in the economy."

He, and the other globalist corporate fatcats the GOP is paid off to serve, are planning on replacing American consumers with Chinese and Indian ones after they squeezed the American lemon dry.

 

[WinterBorn]

Many of those skills have been lost by years of corporate takeover. The father to son skills handed down from one generation to the next. The business acumen handed down from one generation to the next. The wealth of civic leaders that were cultivated through the local business community. Plus the customer service and knowledge a consumer could glean. Go to a Wal-Mart and ask an employee in the hardware department what you need for a home project...IF you can find one.

YES, the Wal-Mart is just like a renter...no stake in their neighborhoods

And its corporate america's fault that the skills are no longer passed down? It is Walmart's fault that today's workers can't find their ass with both hands and a flashlight??

Sorry, try laying this one squarely at the feet of our "No Winners & No Losers" style of education. The fault lies with an education system that allows failure and does not reward success.

It lies with an education system that has phased out teaching trades. Have you seen the fast food cash registers now? They have pictures of the items on them. Want to test the best we have to offer, next time you go in a store and pay cash, wait till they enter the amount you offer them, and then add the amount of change necessary to make it an even amount. For example, if its $15.72, offer them a $20 and AFTER they enter the $20 cash, offer them 22 cents. Or hell, even 72 cents. Watch the brain cells start smoking. And you want to pay that moron $30 and hour???

For what??



As for Walmart's stake in the neighborhood, the walmart in my hometown bought 30 computers for my kid's elementary school. And after the tornados in Tuscaloosa, Walmart offered free bottled water and ice to every rescue or aid agency that responded during the first week or two. Yeah, heartless aren't they?

 

[Guns Guns Guns]

...Yeah, heartless aren't they?

Pretty much.


Ever heard of the Wal-Martyrs?

 

[Rune]

And its corporate america's fault that the skills are no longer passed down? It is Walmart's fault that today's workers can't find their ass with both hands and a flashlight??

Sorry, try laying this one squarely at the feet of our "No Winners & No Losers" style of education. The fault lies with an education system that allows failure and does not reward success.

It lies with an education system that has phased out teaching trades. Have you seen the fast food cash registers now? They have pictures of the items on them. Want to test the best we have to offer, next time you go in a store and pay cash, wait till they enter the amount you offer them, and then add the amount of change necessary to make it an even amount. For example, if its $15.72, offer them a $20 and AFTER they enter the $20 cash, offer them 22 cents. Or hell, even 72 cents. Watch the brain cells start smoking. And you want to pay that moron $30 and hour???

For what??



As for Walmart's stake in the neighborhood, the walmart in my hometown bought 30 computers for my kid's elementary school. And after the tornados in Tuscaloosa, Walmart offered free bottled water and ice to every rescue or aid agency that responded during the first week or two. Yeah, heartless aren't they?

I generaly like you because of your war with Dammed Yankee, but you really should research the Waltons and Walmart's business philosophy a bit before advocating for them so, especialy from a seemingly local only perspective. Their destruction has run the gamut, from downtown to manufacturers.

 

[Guns Guns Guns]

I think the story of the Clintons and Wal-Mart might convince Winter to take off his blue vest.