Casey Meraz

Not long ago I was a huge advocate of outsourcing. When I needed to get work done I wanted it done for the best price.  I mean this is America and Capitalism is good right? I strongly believe that capitalism is good, but greed is not.  There is a fine line there and when most people come close they lose track of what’s right or what’s wrong, and then they look at the dollar signs. As a former outsourcer I only saw the one sided benefit of outsourcing jobs to countries like India, Pakistan, and China.  The price was right and the work was good enough to get me by. And then one day it all changed…

It’s no secret that since the 2008 financial collapse America has not been the same. I have plenty of friends in the 18-24 range that are finding it almost impossible to get a job outside of a fast food restaurant despite their college degrees.  Today it seems the lack of work experience is hindering them in their ability to get a job.  With the lack of American Jobs it makes you wonder where these jobs went.  So where did we go wrong and how did we get to this point?

The reality is that American companies are not required to keep numbers on how many jobs are outsourced.  However many speculate that this number could now be up to 2.5 million.  Keep in mind that the total number of unemployed Americans now number over 12.5 million. Now doing some simple math I can find a good way to make a major impact in the American economy. I’m not talking about something that is too far out of reach, but at the same time you have to realize that life will suck for some people during this transition.  Although there is not an easy way out my plan would make a big difference with just the commitment of some major American companies. Implementing this plan will bring us back to the 2003 unemployment rates which is just a step in the right direction. According to US Public Data the unemployment rate was 6.3% in 2003. Although this number is still higher than we want it to be it’s a fix that is within reach.  So what do we have to do to get to this point?

My plan relies on businesses committing to increased expenses, but also manageable expenses.  With 2.5 million jobs outsourced let’s bring them back into the United States.  Like I indicated earlier it won’t be easy and it might suck for some people, but lets get on the right track and improve from there.  My proposal is to simply take the outsourced jobs to India, Pakistan, China, and other places and bring them to United States.  Now before you say “Casey that’s not possible – the cost of living here in the US is…”. keep in mind that I did give that some consideration.  When the auto industry collapsed in Detroit it created large empty buildings, a complete housing collapse where homes sell for hundreds of dollars, and an overall place to live where the cost of living is still affordable.  What if we were able to create $10-$12 an hour jobs (Which I understand is sad based on our pay rates) and bring those outsourced jobs right bac k to eh US.  We have the perfect recipe where this plan is crazy enough to work.

We Have:
1) 12.5 Unemployed Americans
2)  2.5 Million More Jobs to bring back
3)  Affordable housing in the proposed area

In my humble opinion doing this would create:
1) Better customer experiences for customers taking to US based support
2) Grateful Americans since they can now get a job
3)  Less greed in America if they actually go along with it

One of the biggest faults of my plan requires the abolishment of Greed.  Let’s face it.  Most companies have started to outsource because it’s cheaper for them and they will make more money in the long run.  But if we also face the facts you will realize that the American economy is in trouble.  With the stimulus plans in affect now the US Government is giving away money where apx. $100,000 is only creating one job.  That is the sad fact of the world we live in today.  Although it’s sad we can fix it.  We need more long term solutions.  We need less greedy people. We need to create a culture where American’s aren’t afraid to work hard for their money but where they also won’t overwork themselves. If these things happen more money will be spent in the American economy and although the 2.5 million people getting jobs will make less money than before, I believe that they can live a higher quality of life. What do you think?