Essay Topic:

The problem of the contemporary phenomenon of “offshore jobs” and its impact on the society of the United States.

Essay Questions:

Why is the problem of offshore jobs so important nowadays?

What is the essence of offshore jobs?

What are the positive and negative sides of offshore jobs?

Thesis Statement:

Literally they train people that will eventually take their working places, leaving them unemployed. India is the primary “offshore” supplier.

Offshore jobs essay

Introduction: Offshore jobs nowadays are the cause of a discord in the United States of America. Many people believe that offshore jobs have rather negative impact on the country’s economy, then positive. Various sides of this problem are reviewed and analyzed and for now it has even become a problem of an ethical aspect. But before making any statements it is very important to get into a deep understanding of what “offshore” really is. “Offshore jobs” in the contemporary American world means that the company hires employees not in the country it functions, but “off its shore”, in other countries. From the first glance it may seem: what is wrong with hiring people abroad? Well, the main point is that there are no extra working places for these employees; it may be called a “replacement”. Say, the company has a worker, why would it prefer to hire a person from another country to work on his place? The answer for this question is simple - money. The main interest of American companies in hiring people from other countries is getting competent employees at much lower wages. The way this system works is uniquely simple and oppressing at the same time. An American company decides that it can hire an employee from another country, pay this person a lot less payments and get a result that will satisfy the company sufficiently. But of course that company wants to be sure that this new employee will not be a worse professional that they already have. So their next step is asking the working employee to train the future worker of the company. Literally they train people that will eventually take their working places, leaving them unemployed. India is the primary “offshore” supplier.

Though nobody is officially forced to do the training for these people, the company provides extra paychecks for those who do, before they leave. Politicians and ordinary people argue on that – but one thing is obvious: is does cut down the moral of Americans. Americans stay without jobs, when foreigners take their places, after they themselves make the “professional exchange” with them. This serious matter cannot pass by the American economy. We can analyze it from various sides. Yes, the companies really do increase their profit, but it is made by means of decreasing the expenses on labor. Is this sacrifice worth of the cost generally speaking? “Offshore” activity of a company nowadays does not have a positive influence on the image of the company. The other side is that American workers stay unemployed, which in the first place undermines the stability of the country. The government has to pay more unemployment allowances, people feel insecure and do not trust the government. This has to do a lot with the ethical aspect of the problem. The promotion of the “offshore” makes people feel abject and insulted for they even train their own replacements. Some people say that instead of blaming it all on people from other countries it is better to raise the level of qualification of American workers. After the “replacements” pass the training in the USA they come back to their countries and keep doing their new jobs there. The job is done outside the United States of America. Of course it is always about the money and it is dictated by the tax politics of the country, but does not that hurt the feelings of American workers, does not that hurt their moral? American workers are very qualified, too. So how fair it is to “replace” these professionals? Therefore we have two different points of view on this matter. On one hand it is the raise of the company’s profits and other economical benefits and on the other it is the ethical aspect of the problem, which seems more important to the majority of Americans. Of course, objectively thinking, economical benefits are weighty for the US economy. “Offshore” does not only decreases the wages that a company pays to its abroad employees but also becomes a door to foreign markets. So the products produced in the United States become even more popular. It is very convenient for companies to work with foreigners, because of the taxes. So if the government wants to change this situation it needs to make the taxes on domestic profits lower and this would make the companies turn to making their work and products on the territory of the United States of America and using its working force. So it is even possible to say that the phenomena of “offshore jobs” were caused by the amount of taxes the companies pay for domestic profits. American workers from their side can make strong advancements in their qualifications, so they would be “irreplaceable” by all means.

Conclusion: “Offshore” jobs become more and more popular nowadays, bringing benefits for the economy of America in general and for American entrepreneurs in particular. Companies increase their profits; pay fewer wages to the new employees. It may even be considered that “offshore” has more positive, than negative sides in concern of the economy. Nevertheless it is a question of how ethical it may be considered to “replace” American qualified workers by “cheaper” employees. This is problem that has to be solved by the government in order to keep American workers confident in their jobs. Though a comparatively small percentage experienced this phenomenon, even those who heard about it feel insecure and try to predict in their contracts. How ethical it may be considered to make them train these new employees that sometimes are not professionals at all? How ethical in may be considered to share their unique experience with people who are going to take their places? This is the issue that frightens American workers a lot. It demoralizes them and makes them feel helpless. That cannot have no influence on the general mindset of American workers. So “offshore” jobs are an ethical problem that needs to be eliminated. Of course, it needs time and efforts from the side of the government, but may not be left as it is.