Thursday, December 23, 2004
Judy Olian, dean of the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University, has written a good overview of the debate on outsourcing that is now taking place in the economics profession. She reviews the debate on both sides of the issue.
She concludes, "We're still in the midst of the dislocations and transitions resulting from global outsourcing, so it's premature to judge long-term results. What seems evident so far? Yes, corporate earnings and investors are benefiting. Yes, U.S. consumers are benefiting from cheaper prices due to global outsourcing. Yes, U.S. workers are dislocated -- perhaps permanently in the manufacturing sector and significantly among professional and white-collar employees whose jobs won't return unless the country invests substantially in their retraining and education."
Yet, we see that Congress is now making it harder for low income students to pay college tuitions. You can listen to a recent report from National Public Radio from this page. Or, you can read more about the policy change here.
posted by Ed Morrison |
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Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
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Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
Outsourcing: Congress heads in the wrong direction
