Barack Obama’s opinion on outsourcing

What was Barack Obama’s opinion on outsourcing?

Barack Obama held that jobs lost to outsourcing and automation would not return, so the priority should be retraining and re-skilling displaced American workers for the higher-technology “jobs of the future” rather than trying to bring old jobs back.

• Obama pointed to rising automation as a key reason many jobs of the past, such as manufacturing, would not come back.
• He argued community college could equip workers with the skills needed to be gainfully re-employed in advanced sectors.
• His administration, including economic adviser Diana Farrell, saw benefits in outsourcing and aimed to prepare Americans for more advanced roles.

Barack Obama, the former President of the United States, says that jobs that have been outsourced cannot be brought back to the country. As a result, it is better to retrain and re-skill the workers who have lost their jobs on account of outsourcing.

Outsourced jobs not coming back: Obama

“What we have to do is to make sure that folks are trained for the jobs that are coming in now because some of those jobs of the past are just not going to come back.” – Obama

Obama mentions an increasing level of automation as the reason. He suggests that community college could provide the necessary skills for a person to be gainfully re-employed in the workforce. He adds that this is a necessity that Americans look forward to the future. Looking back doesn’t always make people feel good, so it is essential that they retrain for the ‘jobs of the future’.

In 2008, when Barack Obama was elected President for the first time, the United States saw 450,000 jobs flowing overseas. This figure increased to two million by the end of the decade. The ‘jobs of the past’, like those in manufacturing, have given way to those in high-technology sectors. Obama’s policy focused as well on reaping the benefits of outsourcing and using them to prepare Americans for more of such advanced jobs. His Deputy Advisor on Economic Policy Diana Farrell was a proponent of outsourcing, having authored Offshoring: Is it a Win-Win Game? even before she was appointed to the post.

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Comprehensive list of outsourcing quotes

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Frequently asked questions about Barack Obama’s opinion on outsourcing

What did Barack Obama say about outsourced jobs?

Obama said that jobs which have been outsourced cannot be brought back to the country, so the better response is to retrain and re-skill the workers who lost their jobs because of outsourcing.

Why did Obama believe past jobs would not return?

He pointed to an increasing level of automation as the reason. In his view, many jobs of the past, such as manufacturing roles, had given way to positions in high-technology sectors.

What solution did Obama propose for displaced workers?

He suggested that community college could provide the skills a person needs to be gainfully re-employed, urging Americans to retrain for the “jobs of the future” rather than looking back.

How many US jobs went overseas during Obama’s time in office?

The article notes that in 2008, when Obama was first elected, the United States saw 450,000 jobs flow overseas, a figure that increased to two million by the end of the decade.

Who advised Obama on outsourcing policy?

His Deputy Advisor on Economic Policy, Diana Farrell, was a proponent of outsourcing and had authored “Offshoring: Is it a Win-Win Game?” even before she was appointed to the post.