| Early Humans were nomads, wandering the earth. As | | | | competition for 'Talented' labor. Interesting |
| they found an ideal place as defined by alluvial soil, | | | | observation in Economist in the article titled World in |
| abundant supply of fresh water and balmy weather, | | | | Flux ( talks how the "market for talented people is |
| they started to settle down. Initial large agrarian | | | | increasingly fierce - and global". Here are some of the |
| society emerged out in places like Mesopotamia and | | | | latest statistics and trends from the article. |
| Indus Valley. As more people settled, it led to | | | | * Currently 3% of the world population lives in |
| imbalanced Supply and Demand for the basic needs. | | | | foreign countries |
| Limited resources led to wars which in turn led to | | | | * In Europe Schengen area - which allows |
| creation of boundaries and a military to manage who | | | | passport-free movement of labor is being expanded |
| can come and stay. As the economies of the | | | | to include more countries in Eastern Europe |
| countries were small initially, the countries restricted | | | | * Serious debate currently in Europe on how to |
| movement of people. | | | | attract more skilled foreign workers |
| Industrial revolution led to rise in productivity. We | | | | * Britain is going to implement "Point system" similar |
| began to see first signs of movement of labor in | | | | to Australia, New Zealand and Canada to attract |
| form of urbanization. But still the labor movement | | | | young skilled foreign workers |
| was restricted to the confines of the country border. | | | | * Temporary workers program is being packaged as |
| Information revolution with the rise of computing | | | | "circular migration" in the rich countries to make it |
| power, networking etc. led to the need for large | | | | more palatable for the voters |
| number of skilled workers. 'Dot com' phenomenon | | | | * Booming Asia is attracting highly skilled Westerners |
| and Y2K issues in late 1990s suddenly spiked the | | | | (I think this trend will only accelerate and create a |
| demand for skilled labor and developed countries | | | | brain drain in the developed countries for the first |
| opened the flood gates for temporary immigration of | | | | time!) |
| skilled labor. | | | | According to the article "it will become normal for well |
| Now, integration of global labor pool caused by | | | | educated to spend some part of the year in some |
| accelerated technological trends has started to | | | | one else's country". The question I have is: Are we |
| create more division of labor leading to more | | | | becoming nomadic again? In some sense globalization |
| specialization. Global organizations are now in need of | | | | is slowly erasing the country boundaries. There is |
| highly skilled or talented workers. Rising wealth in | | | | always the risk of backlash due to terrorism and |
| Asian countries, demographic shifts (graying of | | | | jingoism. But in the long run I believe economic |
| workers in developed world) and lowering of barriers | | | | incentives for globalization far outweigh the risks |
| to set up a 'for profit' enterprise worldwide (both due | | | | associated with it and the talented people will be on |
| to technology and government policies in the | | | | the move! |
| countries world wide), will only increase the | | | | |