US service industry gripped by outsourcing fever

By
the end of next year some 830,000 US service jobs will have been exported
overseas, according to a new survey on outsourcing.

The
latest figures from US research firm Forrester show a 40 per cent increase on
its previous estimate, as more companies look for cheaper foreign labour.

By
2015, it predicts that a total of 3.4 million previously US-based positions
will have been relocated overseas.

Supporters
of outsourcing in the US say that shifting jobs, such as call centre positions,
to Asia actually benefits developed economies as it enables firms to reduce
costs and in turn the prices they charge domestic consumers.

Those
in favour also claim that creating new jobs encourages a wider increase in
trade between the countries in question.

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Forrester
said more and more companies are choosing to jump on the outsourcing bandwagon
because they have seen others do it successfully.

By Mike Berry