Which Jobs Are Insourcing?
Simply Hired Staff
We’ve all heard the murky employment-related rumors that circle about water cooler talks and the occasional nightly news report. This company is shuttering its domestic factory, that company is sending its customer service operations to Timbuktoo.
It’s an inescapable fact of modern day employment, hiring, and production that many jobs can be performed remotely or in far off, global locations. This practice, commonly referred to as outsourcing often helps cut costs and can improve a business’ bottom line. While that may be great for corporate America, it’s not exactly the coziest feeling for employees that lose their jobs or have fewer opportunities due to outsourcing.
If you happen to be one of the 14 million plus workers affected by outsourcing, not all is gloom and doom. Many companies are bringing jobs back, or insourcing, due to a variety of factors. Want to know who is leading the trend and whether they might make a great fit for your career goals or skills? Read on to find out which jobs are insourcing and how you can get on top of the trend.
Reasons for Insourcing
Before we get into the who, let’s talk about the why’s. Previously, outsourcing was thought to be a cost savings measure for major corporations due to lower labor and material costs in countries with lower costs of living. The the last several years, however, salaries in developing and former production-centric countries have been slowly inching up. As early as 2012, the White House Blog confronted the issue to help dispell myths and hosted several summits for US execs.
In addition, improvements in technology have helped domestic workers become more productive than ever. Companies have learned that a decrease of initial cost often came at the expense of important company-culture building tools such as collaboration and longevity in your employment roster.
Lastly, Political pressure under both the previous and current administration has also had an impact. Many companies have been offered tax advantages, grant, and other incentives to employ local, US-based labor. Add to that increased travel and shipping costs, and the long term effects of outsourcing finally becoming apparent in a modern workforce and you have a recipe for seeing an influx of jobs that were previously outsourced.
Industries and Companies That Are Insourcing
If we’ve piqued your interest on the benefits of insourcing on US jobs outlook, know that the benefit isn’t simply macroeconomic. Many specific industries and companies are bringing jobs back to cities near you. This means a real-world impact on your ability to potentially score a job in fields that may have been previously short in supply.
Manufacturing jobs are certainly high on the list of industries where you’ll find the biggest and most immediate openings. Caterpillar, Apple, General Electric and Whirlpool are just a few major corporations that have opened US manufacturing hubs in recent years. While this uptick in US jobs is a positive for small and large towns across the country, the truth of the matter is that with the advent of modern technology manufacturing is still expected to trend downwards in the coming years. Unfortunately, no one has quite figured out the economic advantage of insourcing from AI.
Savvy job seekers need not fear altogether, though. Companies are also slowly moving customer service centers back to domestic operations as client satisfaction with outsourced call center assistance has remained steady or trended slightly upwards since the heyday of the mid-2000’s outsourcing boom.
Last, but certainly not least, major US tech companies are increasingly moving workers back to domestic offices in a bid to improve operations. Benefits that we mentioned previously, such as an increase in collaboration, innovation, and communication, are considered huge plusses for helping IT companies stay at the top of the game. In-house capabilities are a must for those looking to keep pace with technology competitors and what better way to make that happen than to keep a steady source of talented and capable staff in the building or down the hall?
How to Capitalize
Knowing which industries are insourcing jobs is one thing, but just how does a modern job-seeker go about capitalizing on this trend? For starters, those looking to gain momentum in a specific field such as manufacturing or an IT-based position should keep tabs on the ever-changing needs of modern employers. Certifications, education, and advanced training are all huge plusses that can help you stand out from the crowd of other would be applicants.
Not sure where to begin? Job search engines such as Simply Hired are a great source of not only individual job listings but also educational blogs and research to help you corner the marker in your hunt for that prestigious career. Head on over to the Simply Hired Job Search page and narrow down your desired position by pay range, locations, education requirements and more. And stay tuned here to the Simply Hired blog for your regular dose of useful, sometimes entertaining, but always educational news, insights, and advice when it comes to everything job-search related.
Article Updated from the Original on January 12, 2019
