MissMarketCrash sent this along to me:
The climate is warm, there's no shortage of exotic food, and the cost of living is rock bottom. That's IBM (NYSE: IBM)'s
pitch to the laid-off American workers it's offering to place in India.
The catch: Wages in the country are pennies-on-the-dollar compared to
U.S. salaries.
pitch to the laid-off American workers it's offering to place in India.
The catch: Wages in the country are pennies-on-the-dollar compared to
U.S. salaries.
Under a program called Project Match, IBM will help workers laid off
from domestic sites obtain travel and visa assistance for countries in
which Big Blue has openings. Mostly that's developing markets like
India, China, and Brazil.
NB: The program is limited to "satisfactory performers."
They do more of this and you’ll hear cries of Colonialism rear its ugly head in those countries… Chindia has enough local talent that one need not import Westerners to do a “satisfactory performance”.
I think it’s just a thinly veiled program by IBM to move “foreign workers” back to their country of origin. It doesn’t matter if that “foreign worker” really thinks she is an American now and has sworn oath to the flag… her race gives her away.
The statists at Angry Bear are already bitching about it.
My girlfriend’s mother and stepfather are thinking of retiring to India to stretch their retirement savings. This came up in conversation about a month after I’d explained “inferior goods” to my girlfriend; this resulted in some discussion of India as “the Spam of retirement destinations”, which the Indian government may be less than eager to jump on as an advertising slogan.
Am I the only person that’s still dubious of this article?
‘”I think it’s just a thinly veiled program by IBM to move “foreign workers” back to their country of origin. It doesn’t matter if that “foreign worker” really thinks she is an American now and has sworn oath to the flag… her race gives her away.”
And I think you’re being hypersensitive and reading way, way too much into this.’
My first thought too was that would be too much of a conspiracy theory, but then if you think about it, if you don’t speak the local language, how can you really work there?
I wonder how many US workers would really be willing and able to move to another country like India?
Some natives of China or India may be quite happy to be able to return to their home countries — and their brothers, sisters, and aging parents.
If so, it’s silly to object.
i’d do it, but that’s only because i’m an idiot
Cool. This time the white folks get to build the railroads… or computers, or whatever. With export economies crashing, any Caucasian responding to these job openings shouldn’t go assuming they’ll receive a big desk, corner office, great view and a personal secretary. They might be handed a pick-ax or shovel. But seriously, they clearly are looking for those people who, given the right conditions, wish to return to their places of origin or ancestry. However, the applicants might very well end up in a frying pan and fire situation.
I think IBM will get some takers. Money isn’t everything and some people may miss living in those countries. Not only that but if the choice is between going and just getting laid off in this type of environment, some people might be better off going. If you were to stick around in North America looking for a job the next 12 months you’re depleting your savings. The other thing to remember is that the wages over there aren’t as low as you might think. These are people who are skilled enough to have already had a job in North America and may be they’d be taking with them the education that they got here. That would qualify them for a relatively good job over there which means you probably would live better even though you might be taking a 65% pay cut. By living better, I mean being able to afford a domestic servant. Taking taxis everywhere because it’s so affordable. Restaurants. Of course I’m assuming that those that leave know they will enjoy the food and culture.
I don’t disagree with the desire of a few to return to their homelands with their current employers. It makes sense.
It does nothing to their fellow citizens in the US however. So, I think IBM is being disingenuous with this so-called “save jobs” program.
Some VP wants to keep his executive bonus.
> The other thing to remember is that the wages over there aren’t as low as you might think.
we (financial industry company) paid a consultant working for an agency $1200/day to work in NY and $500/day to work in India. (Same people — it depended on whether we needed them here.) That’s material, but it’s not extreme. Cost of living is very very different.
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