• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

■ JOBS THAT WON’T BE OFFSHORED

There are some jobs that, at the moment, just can’t be offshored. Can you imagine offshoring your personal financial planning to a stranger in some foreign country? Are you going to fly to a foreign country just to see a doctor or check yourself into a hospital? Is a salesperson from Asia likely to travel to your home or place of business to sell you insurance, a new car, computer, or clothes? Unlikely.

There is a clear pattern here. Many jobs, because of their personal or “intangible nature, cannot be offshored. Baby boomers are the wealthiest generation ever and scores of new jobs will be created because of their obsession with youth, advances in medicine, bioengineering, and security.

The security issues that were exposed by the 9/11 terrorist activities have spawned whole new industries as the United States looks to secure its borders from terrorists. The banking, travel, agriculture, energy, medical, and other industries vital to our social and economic well-being are vulnerable and not likely to be leaving our shores anytime soon.

This quote from Michael Mandel sums up what’s happening:

The war between the intangible and tangible sectors of the U.S. economy is over—and intangibles have won. Since the economy went into recession a year ago, the industries producing or distributing physical or tangible goods—including construction, manufacturing, retail trade, and transportation—have lost an astounding 1.8 million jobs. That includes a decline of 260,000 jobs in the much-beleaguered auto industry and its dealer network, and a drop of 300,000 in residential construction employment. (BusinessWeek, December 9, 2008)

President Obama’s stimulus package in the United States is primarily aimed at the tangible market, which will encourage growth in the intangible market as well. Understanding which jobs are not likely to be offshored and why can help you make informed career choices. I strongly suggest you read The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community, and Everyday Life (New York: Basic Books, 2003) if you’re having trouble picking an industry with a future.

Industries that won’t be offshored include:

• Energy: There will be an increased push to find new sources of energy. There will be more demand for the people who search for, mine, and develop new sources as well as for people to manage marketing and sales, accounting, human resources, and technology, and the list goes on. Look to California to lead the way in electric cars.

• Preventive health care: This is a hot area for growth right now and it will continue for years to come as the baby boomers age. The demand for workers applies to all levels and to suppliers as well. Here’s something to think about. The cover story in BusinessWeek, September 25, 2006, concluded, “Since 2001, the health-care industry has added 1.7 million jobs. The rest of the private sector? None.”

• Security: In addition to antiterrorism needs, there is growing concern among companies to protect their greatest asset: information. Additionally, employers are increasingly concerned about the backgrounds of people they are hiring, which will give rise to investigative services.

• Military: Need I say more? The demand will increase as will the educational requirements for people looking for the jobs in communications and intelligence.

• Government: At every level—municipal, state, and federal—demands will only get bigger. Leadership will be in high demand as will bilingualism in many jurisdictions.

• Insurance: The more uncertainty there is in a society, the greater the demand for insurance. Providers will continue to need sales agents, claims adjusters, researchers, customer service people, accountants, and lawyers.

• Consumer financial services: As more people own homes, cars, and so on, demand is increasing for loan agents and title company workers. With losses growing in company-sponsored 401(k) plans, more people are