globalization news stories on Newser

Average Isn't Good Enough Anymore in America

Kevin Spak — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:57:09 CST

Once upon a time, an average worker with average skills could expect an average lifestyle in America—but not anymore. "Today, average is officially over," writes Thomas Friedman of the New York Times . Average people can't expect the lifestyle they used to enjoy, because "employers have so much more access...

Strauss-Kahn Saga Would Make Great Movie

Matt Cantor — Mon, 23 May 2011 13:53:05 CDT

Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s story might seem like Law & Order fodder, but it would actually make for a “sprawling, complex, kaleidoscope-of-globalization” movie—something along the lines of Traffic or Babel , writes Ross Douthat, who summarizes the plot as he sees it in the New York Times . It would tell the story...

Multinationals Cut 2.9M US Jobs, Hired 2.4M Abroad

Kevin Spak — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:36:45 CDT

The US Commerce Department released a report today throwing into sharp relief just how drastically US multinational corporations are shifting jobs overseas. During the 2000s, US companies cut 2.9 million jobs in the US, while hiring 2.4 million abroad—including an increasing number of highly-skilled workers, the Wall...

KFC Looks to Conquer Africa With Fried Chicken

Nick McMaster — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 11:26:21 CST

Kentucky Fried Chicken wants to take over Africa. Like McDonald's and other fast-food giants, KFC parent company Yum Brands has been countering the slowdown in American spending with expansion overseas. Having populated China with KFC outlets, Yum now plans to double the number of stores in Africa to 1,200,...

G20 Protests in Toronto Turn Ugly

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 06:31:31 CDT

Black-clad demonstrators broke off from a crowd of peaceful protesters at the global economic summit in Toronto yesterday, torching police cruisers and smashing windows with baseball bats and hammers. Police arrested more than 150, reports the AP. Police used shields, clubs, tear gas and pepper spray to push back the...

Call Centers Return to US, With a Twist

Harry Kimball — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:10:00 CDT

It’s still not as cheap as outsourcing to India or the Philippines, but US companies are increasingly choosing homegrown telephone operators to handle their customer service needs. The trend is fueled by the advent of “phonesourcing” or “homesourcing,” which uses linkups to allow trained operators to work from home, instead...

Iconic Brands We've Outsourced

Kevin Spak — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:24:00 CDT

Baseballs are as American as Mom and apple pie, right? Well, hopefully they have parents and pastry in Costa Rica, too, because that’s where Rawlings’ factory is located now. Loads of other all-American brands aren’t so all-American anymore, Newsweek reports, singling out the companies seen in the slideshow above.

At Summit, World Leaders Pledge to Help Haiti Rebuild

Nick McMaster — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:48:14 CST

World leaders at an international summit in Montreal today agreed that rebuilding Haiti will take decades. In fact, "rebuilding" is hardly the word—if successful, the state envisioned by envoys to the conference will bear little resemblance to pre-earthquake Haiti. Canadian PM Stephen Harper said the world community must commit...

Thank Inflation for Avatar 's Box Office Record

Nick McMaster — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:59:00 CST

Avatar will soon gross $1.85 billion worldwide, but becoming the box office champ doesn't mean it's the most successful movie of all time. Remember, a ticket to Gone with the Wind cost an average of only 23¢—45 times less than an Avatar ticket. This list ranks films by...