OECD
Seeks Business Input on Global Sourcing
The effect of trade
liberalization on certain industries remains one of the most prominent issues
on the OECD agenda. New patterns of
industrial production have major implications for business. Comparative advantages are shifting, while
new sources of competition are created.
And current trends – such as the outsourcing of business process
services – raise concerns among policy makers and in the public at large.
In response to
this, the OECD is seeking private-sector help in a study of “Trade and
Structural Adjustment,” which will address elements of the global sourcing
debate. USCIB understands that the U.S.
government is also seeking the help of the U.S. private sector to identify and
present successful case studies of structural adjustment, either among or
outside the eight sectors set out in the OECD study plan.
USCIB recently
circulated a short OECD survey to members, seeking input no later than June 10
and soliciting suggestions for such case studies and supporting
information. If you would like to
participate, please contact
Joseph G. Gavin, USCIB’s vice president for
trade policy (202-371-1316 or
jgavin@uscib-dc.org).
Higher Education = Higher Pay – In the ongoing debate over global sourcing, a basic lesson is often
overlooked: higher education pays off.
As American workers compete for the best-paying, highest-growth jobs,
they are acquiring more education and knowledge, which transforms into higher
wages and lifetime earnings. According
to the latest U.S. government data, the unemployment rate in 2002 for those
with bachelor’s degrees stood at 3.1 percent, versus 5.3 percent for high
school graduates, while median annual income in each category was $47,000 and
$29,200, respectively. USCIB is an
active participant in the Economic Growth and American Jobs Coalition, whose
goals are to strengthen economic growth and create better jobs for Americans. More information is available at
www.growthandjobs.org.
