Understanding New Trends in Outsourcing September 23, 2008

Organizer: Mercatus Center. Featuring Dr. J. Bradford Jensen, Associate Professor of International Business and Economics, Georgetown University. In the 1950's it would have been difficult to imagine the American economy without a strong manufacturing sector, but many changes have led to the rise of the service economy. With the information revolution we saw the rise of jobs in high-tech IT positions, computer programming, and communications while new tools paved the way for opportunities in scientific fields like research and development, engineering, and medicine. These highly productive fields have led to higher wages, but with the rise of high-skilled workers overseas, some have started to worry about outsourcing risk to these new service sector positions. To investigate these issues, Dr. J. Bradford Jensen of Georgetown University will present an insightful look at new trends in outsourcing in the services sector and at the impact seen on the labor market. Join us as we address questions such as: How many and what type of jobs are at risk to services outsourcing? Can we draw parallels between the services industry and the manufacturing sector? Are services at greater risk for outsourcing than other sectors? How will service imports and exports affect the United States? Is there still room for growth in the services sector?

Official Website: http://www.mercatus.org/EventDetails.aspx?id=22862