Outsourcing rips away green jobs from America’s unemployed

The more time goes by, the more many begin to doubt the legitimacy of the funds and policies that were supposed to create jobs and that were supposed to resurrect the working class and that were supposed to heal the economy of a darkened recession. It is no surprise that people are getting anxious, and perhaps downright pessimistic about the current labor situation with the amount of inactivity happening in the job market.

When the stimulus plan was first signed and put into play, many thought it would make an immediate splash in the labor market, especially the green job market. Instead, all that has been seen is a minuscule ripple effect that is slowly making its way into certain sectors and states.

Sure, government incentives are pushing more spending and improvements in homes and businesses, but for the most part, unemployed laborers fear the outlook of the current economic situation, and for good reason.

Leo Gerard, international president for the United Steelworkers, spoke recently for the "Made in America" tour about his hopes for the US job market but couldn’t help but mention his fears of globalization stealing away manufacturing and blue-collar jobs.

Like many, he focused on all the opportunity that could potentially be available if the US continues to shift towards a greener nation. To explain his optimism, he used an example of all the jobs, from electricians to truck drivers, that would potentially be needed to create and install wind turbines.

The only issue, as he explained, is that 80% of wind turbines are imported from oversees. See, outsourcing and globalization create quite a dilemma in a capitalist market where profits are the bottom line. The government can create all sorts of incentives and go deeper and deeper into debt to try and land people jobs, but the same problem exists that has shut down hundreds of plants nationwide in the past: it can be done cheaper elsewhere.

Essentially, as long as prices stay low oversees, all these green initiatives and products are only going to mean greater global competition. The US government is willing to front the dollars with the stimulus package and plenty of foreign countries are willing to supply the lower priced wind turbines, solar panels, and hybrid cars.

Capitalism in the US is supplying jobs in other countries. Of course, there is the exception as I explained in an earlier post, but right now the future of a blossoming green job market is just not a reality.

Until the US can figure out a way to lower costs, green jobs are going to continue to be an unrealistic dream for the blue collar laborer.