NEWS: Report: U.S. Lost 1.5 Million Jobs to China From 1989-2003

Between 1989 and 2003 the United States lost 1.5 million jobs to China through increasing trade. In comparison, the good the U.S. exports to China generated only 199,000 jobs. This report comes on the heels of a record trade deficit with China in 2003 of $124 billion dollars.



The hardest hit sectors in the U.S. by this trade has been textiles, apparel, furniture, rubber, and leather. Computer, electronic, and semi-conductor sectors have also been effected. This may soon begin to effect areas of real strategic importance. This trade imbalance is further exacerbated by the fact that China is unfairly devaluing its currency which gives its goods a competitive advantage.

[edit on 1/11/05 by FredT]

Thanks, Fred.
It's about time we recognized these job losses did not begin in January, 2001. American jobs have been leaving our country for many years.
This goes beyond placing blame with the current administration. Although I will get flamed for this, I also think the American workers' desire for higher and higher wages contributed to these job leaving. Of course, this was couple with the employers desire for increased profits.

It's a sad day in America when you call your credit card company and CANNOT understand the customer service representative

It's people will demand more once they see how the upper class lives. There is no middle class there, like Russia and Russia may be the jolly one in the end when they are the ones willing to work for the least profit in the long run.

They are petty jobs anyway. More people are into bio and electronically engineering these days. These jobs are the cream of the crop.

DTOM,

Nah no flaming, but given the virtual slave wages offered, or worse, forced actual slave labor, American workers have no real chance to be compedative on this playing field. Nor is China playing fair with its monatary policy or its purchases. Depite this huge trade imbalance, did they buy Caterpillar for the 3 Gorges Dam? No, we buy thier goods and the Worm (AKA Chirac) shows up kisses butt and seals trade deals for the Chinese to buy thier goods.

Really though, one wonders what the heck is going to happen when resources are depleted. There will be no consumption and no manufacturing. Everyone is screwed... I wonder if we should throw a few billion into near Earth mining for resources and when all are depleted on Earth we could go rich on selling them...

Chris,

China may have to face this pretty soon. A few ATSNN stories I have posted include one about the brutal acid rain in the country that causes 1+ Billion a year in damage and is killing off crops. The other ATSNN story I posted dealth with the fact that like 80 percent of thier major cities have contaminated water.

Something really will have to give.

That's just a few of the problems though. What really happens when the population is unfeedable do to foul crops and well, lack of ability to grow sufficient amounts? What happens when people wake up and see that they will not work for these pathetic wages? They are already under supplied with concrete, wood, and soon oil... The fact that they are only a fraction of the way that we are does the country just quit when these things show up? You cant build without concrete, wood, you cant go on without food, and they aren’t sophisticated in the right areas currently to developed and employ alternative energy sources to the likes of the U.S., Japan, and so on...

As a Chinese,I have to tell my American friends that in sino-US relationship,America is the winner and will be the winner in the future.i would like to show my opinion later.

FACTS ARE FACTS...
The USA is no longer a manufacturing based economy...
it is a service economy (not bad, but not good) ...

what we REALLY have to beware is when we are no longer even a service based economy DUE TO OUTSOURCING...

everytime you call a utility LIKE MCI TELEPHONE and a foreign speaking person answers... CANCEL YOUR SERVICE!!!!
because, as sad as it is, we need those jobs here... NOT ARGENTINA...

Not to mention that foreign companys that perform service outsourcing have access to information about you and are not subject to USA laws regarding privacy...
so, do what i do... ONLY SUPPORT COMPANYS THAT SUPPORT AMERICAN SERVICE JOBS and privacy laws..

MCI will soon be the next enron, as long as people realize how much damage oursourcing does to our economy... We have adjusted to a service economy over the last 20 years... remember the recession of the 80's.... ready for one based upon the loss of service jobs this time around... IM NOT

"Between 1989 and 2003 the United States lost 1.5 million jobs to China through increasing trade."


That figure is so surprisingly small, it almost presents a picture of a competitive US labor force and of employers who have America at heart.

Almost.

Originally posted by paperman2
As a Chinese,I have to tell my American friends that in sino-US relationship,America is the winner and will be the winner in the future.i would like to show my opinion later.

Please do. I for one am very interested in the perspective of a citizen.

"hardest hit sectors" which are mentioned in the text are" textiles, apparel, furniture, rubber, and leather. Computer, electronic, and semi-conductor" sectors.But if you pay attention to such sectors,you will find that all of them are raw and processed materials or assembly line,with which profit low and labor heavy and even cause pollution.
So such sectors "should" be moved the developping courtry as China,so i think as the super power,some certain sectors of course should be moved to some other courtries, as job positions lost.

[edit on 13-1-2005 by paperman2]