European Concern over Outsourcing Abroad

Most adults in Britain, France and Germany support the idea of government action to stop companies outsourcing jobs overseas, according to the latest poll by TNS for CNN and TIME magazine. Almost half of German adults (48%) also think that people in their country should consider wage cuts to prevent this.

Significant but smaller proportions agree with the latter idea in Britain (27%) and France (25%). Respondents in France (76%) and Germany (78%) were more in favour of government restrictions on outsourcing than in Britain (64%).

Across all countries surveyed, more adults wanted domestic government action than involvement by the EU. In Britain and Germany, just 48% and 49% respectively were supportive of EU involvement, compared with 64% and 76% wanting involvement from their own national Government.

TNS Director Sue Homeyard says that overseas outsourcing has evolved from a simple means of driving down the cost of manufacturing through call centre efficiencies to 'a viable business solution for a greater number of industries... Understandably people are starting to worry about job security'. However, she points out that the increased need to offer efficient, international solutions and the rapidly developing business and economic roles of countries such as India and China are likely to encourage the continued growth of outsourcing and business globalisation.

TNS interviewed 1,000 adults in each of Britain, Germany and France between 24 and 29 September using TNS Ncompass International Omnibus. TNS' web site is at www.tns-global.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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