So, what is next for US employment?

[Fenix]

Came across this article U.S Jobs and founbd it quite interesting.

Basically the article is focusing on Apple's shifting of manufacturing jobs to China and how this signified an irreversible trend in the manufacturing sector.

This is the part that got me:

It isn’t just that workers are cheaper abroad. Rather, Apple’s executives believe the vast scale of overseas factories as well as the flexibility, diligence and industrial skills of foreign workers have so outpaced their American counterparts that “Made in the U.S.A.” is no longer a viable option for most Apple products.

Seems like businesses are trying to shift the rhetoric away from Chinese workers being cheaper to Chinese workers being just darn better overall. 

What say you all?

U13 should have fun with this.

[funkStrat_97]

Came across this article U.S Jobs and founbd it quite interesting.

Basically the article is focusing on Apple's shifting of manufacturing jobs to China and how this signified an irreversible trend in the manufacturing sector.

This is the part that got me:

Seems like businesses are trying to shift the rhetoric away from Chinese workers being cheaper to Chinese workers being just darn better overall. 

What say you all?

U13 should have fun with this.

I think that American workers want jobs that basically cater to their needs whereas Chinese and even Japanese workers are willing to do whatever it takes to cater to the needs of their jobs.

[phbrown]

explain why Fox conn employees keep committing suicide after making so many apple products

[Fenix]

explain why Fox conn employees keep committing suicide after making so many apple products

Good point. The article did not mention the level of job satisfaction between the two countries.

[under13]

wow. I'm al for capitalism, but....

[blyempowered]

wow. I'm al for capitalism, but....

You are? LOL!

[gtrdave]

Here's what I replied to the same article that another friend posted on Facebook:

Sad but true.
“The U.S. has stopped producing people with the skills we need.”
I've no doubt that we still produce good, skillful people, but they're not willing to work 12 hours/day for a biscuit and a cup of tea.

So, in order for the jobs to shift back to America a few things have to occur:
1. the cost of manufacturing/labor has to greatly increase in Asia
2. Americans, especially school-age children, have to reach higher skill levels
3. Companies, American or otherwise, have to see a benefit to producing products here
4. the cost of manufacturing/labor has to decrease in America

As the article said, Corning's American glass manufacturing plant has benefited from the popularity of iPods and iPhones, but they can't handle the increased demand, so they farm the additional manufacturing overseas instead of increasing manufacturing here.

[funkStrat_97]

4. the cost of manufacturing/labor has to decrease in America

Yeah, but in order for that to happen, the cost of living has to go down.  Who wants to work hard all day and still struggle to put food on table?  As long as the cost of essentials stays high, workers will demand/seek higher wages and benefits.

[phbrown]

the cost of living in china is increasing in china

still probably cheap i have no idea what the exchange rate is




also the dollar is weak, and congress is complaining about how china does it's exchange rate to the international trade community

so there may be changes happening

[gtrdave]

Yeah, but in order for that to happen, the cost of living has to go down.  Who wants to work hard all day and still struggle to put food on table?  As long as the cost of essentials stays high, workers will demand/seek higher wages and benefits.

True.
A while back we all had a similar convo...and I did some cost analysis comparing what things cost 50 years ago to what those same things cost today. Most goods and services (cars, food, utilities) have increased at moderate and equal levels and even average pay/income has risen similarly, but the cost of housing, both rents and mortgages, surpassed everything else by, iirc, 300% or more.
It cost SO MUCH just to get and maintain a floor, four walls and a roof.

[under13]

True.
A while back we all had a similar convo...and I did some cost analysis comparing what things cost 50 years ago to what those same things cost today. Most goods and services (cars, food, utilities) have increased at moderate and equal levels and even average pay/income has risen similarly, but the cost of housing, both rents and mortgages, surpassed everything else by, iirc, 300% or more.
It cost SO MUCH just to get and maintain a floor, four walls and a roof.

I was thinking about the same thing. My father tells me of how they made so much money working in the mills and factories back in the 1960's. I think the average pay back then was equivalent to $90,000 a year in today's money. 

[LaylaMonroe]

Add ^^^^ that fact to the fact that nowadays life isn't as simple and we aren't as happy with as little as we were happy with back then... but I digress...

[sjonathan02]

Add ^^^^ that fact to the fact that nowadays life isn't as simple and we aren't as happy with as little as we were happy with back then... but I digress...

Good point.

[LaylaMonroe]

explain why Fox conn employees keep committing suicide after making so many apple products

This was the first thing that came to my mind.

Those folks over there go HARD. I read an article last week (or maybe the week before?) about how Chinese workers are planning a protest... via mass suicide. Like DANG.... we just picket, strike, sign petitions or have job actions like calling in sick, wearing buttons, etc. These folks kill themselves to make a statement?

[funkStrat_97]

Add ^^^^ that fact to the fact that nowadays life isn't as simple and we aren't as happy with as little as we were happy with back then... but I digress...

Yup....we are in the midst of a paradigm shift and in this day and age, it is to your benefit to be rich.  When it comes to matters of personal finance, the new mantra is go big or go home........but wait, you can't go home because you can't afford to buy one.  See, you should've gone big; now you have nowhere to go.