I have decided to start a small series on employment & competitiveness, and their close relationship to technical know-how. Having lived and worked in different countries and regions in Europe, I have noticed that there is a pattern. In dynamic or traditionally industrial areas there is places and companies that have more steady employment, whereas in others there is considerable fluctuations.
By steady employment, I do not naturally mean the life-long employment model of Japan, but the ability to stay employed on a permanent basis, independently of the fact that one has to move companies or activities on a few occasions in a lifetime.
On a global scale, the cost of employment is of course a deciding factor, and everybody has their sight on China that keeps increasing its manufacturing capacity. However, in both the US and Europe, the more financially progressive states are not necessarily the cheapest. Take for example California, Washington, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. Do you get cheap labour in any of those? Far from it… Read the rest of this entry »
