For some time, I thought that outsourcing was a net negative to Americans, where it only benefits overpaid CEOs and possibly shareholders. But now, I believe it is more of a double-edged sword. Yes, American jobs are lost to nations who pay their workers less in the name of superior quarterly reports. But one could argue that companies from overseas offer employment opportunities here, as well.
Let us take auto manufacturing as an example. General Motors has conducted outsourcing to Mexico and Canada, but brands from Europe and Asia have factories here in the USA for the production of US-spec vehicles, offering thousands of jobs to Americans. Brands that immediately come to mind are Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, and Toyota. In fact, it can be argued a substantial portion of Toyota’s output is American, evidenced by two design studios that are based in America, and a lot of modern Toyota design is owed to them. I would even say that the multinational nature of some corporations has disincentivized a hypothetical World War III. However, with that said, I believe the PPE shortage at this time would likely have been mitigated if we had a domestic supply chain, rather than outsourcing it overseas.
Max Engel
East Lyme
