Fear of Service Outsourcing: Is It Justified?
October 1, 2004
Download PDF
More Formats on IMF eLibrary
Order a Print CopyDisclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate
Summary
The recent media and political attention on service outsourcing from developed to developing countries gives the impression that outsourcing is exploding. As a result, workers in industrial countries are anxious about job losses. This paper aims to establish what are the hypes and what are the facts. The results show that although service outsourcing has been steadily increasing it is still very low, and that in the United States and many other industrial countries "insourcing" is greater than outsourcing. Using the United Kingdom as a case study, we find that job growth at a sectoral level is not negatively related to service outsourcing.
Subject: Employment, Imports, Services sector, Unemployment, Wages
Keywords: business service, intensity ratio, material outsourcing, outsourcing intensity, service outsourcing, WP
Pages:
41
Volume:
2004
DOI:
Issue:
186
Series:
Working Paper No. 2004/186
Stock No:
WPIEA1862004
ISBN:
9781451859492
ISSN:
1018-5941
