[horsehead]

And now other countries start doing the same as the US did 100 years ago. Soon they'll be outsourcing jobs too, though IDK to whom. Soon there won't be any cheap labor as the rest of the world catches up!!

Or maybe super poor countries will start being better off .... hmmm

[hkmurakami]

The next destination for labor is Africa.

I'm really interested to see what happens after that though, when there is comparatively little wage arbitrage opportunities remaining.

[smallblacksun]

Africa won't become a major manufacturing hub until companies can be relatively confident that violence and political turmoil won't destroy their investments.

[taligent]

I don't know if that's the case.

One of the big reasons Asian countries are so popular is because of their proximity to other members of the supply chain. This is vital for maximizing JIT inventory management.

It might just end up moving to Asian countries that still have pockets of cheap labour e.g. Philippines.

[heretohelp]

>I'm really interested to see what happens after that though, when there is comparatively little wage arbitrage opportunities remaining.

Post-labor economies driven by efficiency improvements from technological advancement.

Most of the western world lives dissipatively save for a cohort of knowledge workers fighting for prestige and social proof. (You already see this in the startup industry with those who have enough money to retire on.)

Those that don't adapt to the non-necessity for everybody to be working will experience tumult.

[mtrimpe]

What do you mean by dissipatively?

My dictionary hasn't caught up with your vocabulary yet ;)

[heretohelp]

Imagine what most people would do if they no longer had to work to survive.

Sit around, watch TV, etc.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dissipative

Specifically: "To indulge in the intemperate pursuit of pleasure."

Contains a more...nihilistic edge than hedonism though.