As globalization matures, the face of who offshores to whom is shifting: increasingly the US's labor pool is viewed as low cost compared to other parts of the world, mostly due to the decline in value of the US dollar. For example, both Honda and BMW are opening manufacturing facilities in the US to leverage relatively inexpensive skilled labor rates, not simply to ease shipping and tariff costs (the traditional reasons). This is the same reason Ford gave for opening plants in Mexico years ago.
But U.S. labor arbitrage opportunities extend into white collar jobs to. The same US-based $300USD/hour consultant hired in 2000 for €250 is now €200 - a 20% cost reduction for arguably the best thought leadership in the world. Historically expensive places like Dubai have offshored their labor (blue and white collar) to the US and other willing work forces for years.
Outsourcing - or more specifically, offshoring - has led to some unscrupulous practices that smack of slavery (Nike got nailed a few years ago for sweatshop practices) so offshoring is ‘guilty by association.’ But in common practice, market forces balance wages with a willing workforce, at least over a long term. Chances are, American families drawing a Honda paycheck in Indiana have a similar perspective as Mexican families working for Ford in Jaurez.
