Does competitiveness in the world’s job market imply that it is a zero-sum game? If the U.S. “wins” and has the best, most high-paying jobs, does that mean that others “lose” and have poorer jobs?
If the U.S. does not produce enough graduates with the “right” skills and education, do you think it is likely that Americans will start going abroad more often to receive education and training in other countries?
In Tyler Cowen’s book, he argues that in Americans enjoyed the benefits of free land, immigrant labour and powerful new technologies; however, he states that the web has provided essentially less profits and few new jobs. If the web has produced less jobs, then how is it that a vast majority of our industries and job markets require web work? Or knowledge/skills based in new technologies such as social media, data entry, programming etc?
An interesting aspect of the unemployment crisis is the relationship between the increasing unemployment rate and the increasing salaries of the top few percent. How will this be resolved? How will we be able to put education first if we do not have the funding? I think the question lies in the fundamental differences in culture and societies modes of thinking or operating – collectivism versus individualism.
1) A lot of attention was placed on President Obama in the article. In the most recent presidential debate he stressed investing in education as a leverage to the 9% unemployment rate. While most agree that this approach will certainly have long term success, how long will it take, and can one term provide enough support of education to turn the employment rate?
2) Will the globalization of white collar jobs increase the quality of customer service and products we receive, and can the US compete with internationally skilled workers at that level or will it further gauge our employment rate?
Some career fields, like journalism and graphic design, lend themselves to freelance work. Websites like oDesk help to market the individual in a single, globalized market for labor. Which career fields will most likely help individuals be on the “winning side” of a globalized market? Which types of jobs are unlikely to be found in a global market? Will this create degree trends for students studying at the university level?
Spain’s unemployment rate has soared to 25.1% (Eurostat). As a result of the economical crisis, Spain’s policymakers have ” … set innovation as one of [the] main lines of action for economic growth, and in this sense [have] developed an ambitious agenda called the State Innovation Strategy (E21) with a primary emphasis on technological innovation, business innovation financing and internationalization of innovation.” (http://www.socialinnovationeurope.eu/node/1925)
Is there a positive side to an economical crisis? How do policymakers contribute to the innovation? How is policy innovative?
Interesting idea inspired by economical crisis: euro-free economy: “In Barcelona… time banks… allow people to trade their services in hours without the involvement of money…these experiments aim to take communities back to a time when goods and services were bartered.”
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/in-spain-financial-crisis-feeds-expansion-of-a-parallel-euro-free-economy/2012/08/27/53ed3552-e00f-11e1-a19c-fcfa365396c8_story.html)
The article indicates that in several weaker economies, jobs have been sacrificed in the name of the public good, to avoid government default on debts. What is your opinion regarding this decision? Is it really for the “public good”? What do you do with all those workers that got laid off? How do you think they feel? Are they satisfied knowing that they got let go of so that the economy would heal? Is this even ethical?
The article mentions “Globalization and technological innovation are bringing about long-term changes in the world economy that are altering the structure of the labor market”, there for what should education be focusing on? How do we manage to keep talented employees without paying an arm and a leg for them? Would you consider a cap on salary?
If you have time, watch this video:
Do you agree with the idea of an unpaid internship? Should all internships be paid, or should all interns receive some sort of compensation (housing, flight, food)? When do you think it is okay that an internship not be paid? Have you ever accepted an unpaid internship with the hope that it would lead to a job offer?
ODesk is described as a “game changer” in the article, by offer “labour as a service” to individuals who might need work, without having to work for a large company, or even leaving home. What are some disadvantages of the “labour as a service” concept?
Do you agree more with the “lump of labour fallacy” (the belief that there is only a fixed amount of work to go round) or with the the theory of comparative advantage (which suggests that free markets make the world better off because everyone can concentrate on doing what they are best at)?
Do you know of other companies like oDesk that connect employers in the developed world with potential employees in the developing world through the internet?
Q1: Globalisation and innovation in information technology have been moving the world nearer to a single market for labour. What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Q2: A lot of criticism has gone to the cheap labour in some developing countries, but it takes two hands to clap. On one hand, China has attracted a large number of MNCs exploiting its cheaper labor; on the other, China has sent the most students to the US and other major western countries contributing to their sky-high priced educational institutions. What is your take on this issue?
Q3: Some say globalisation of the labour market is a zero-sum game, do you agree? Why or why not?
