We risk "pro-business" becoming understood as anti-human
Workers see few benefits from pro-business policies
Mon Mar 15, 6:43 AM ET
As the U.S. economy keeps expanding without creating new jobs, politicians, labor leaders and average Americans increasingly blame "outsourcing" - work U.S. firms transfer to low-wage countries. The practice has become so highly charged that a Nebraska executive in line to oversee a Bush administration effort to boost factory jobs backed out last week following reports that he had outsourced operations to China.
Tying all of the nation's economic woes to outsourcing is simplistic. Many economists estimate that only about 1 in 100 layoffs are caused by outsourcing. By contrast, the bulk of job losses stem from domestic factors.
Even so, the focus on outsourcing helps highlight a broader economic concern that Corporate America has failed to address: Policies that are good for business have not been good for workers in recent years.
While Washington has showered tax cuts on U.S. businesses to spur them to grow, executives have not created new jobs or shared their increased prosperity with workers. Instead, the tax benefits largely have fattened companies' bottom lines. The growing disparity between corporate and worker fortunes requires a re-examination of strategies for stimulating the economy.
