Best Posts in Thread: The End of Call Centers

http://www.economist.com/news/inter...good-jobs-emerging-world-technology-threatens

This one will be interesting. As technology reduces the need for @ss in seats, call center jobs are going to get hit hard. Call centers are one of the few industries (like manufacturing) which can employ a large number of people to handle relatively simple jobs.

The article describes how people can adapt, but it's describing a specialization which can only work for fewer number of workers. This is how tech reduces jobs. People have to adapt and move higher up the skills ladder. They have to figure out how to spot opportunities which are up for grabs in the changing landscape. Unfortunately, this is difficult for most people to do. Just look at the businesses lined up along any street here, they are all the same.

While the Philippines might be able to adapt by throwing more technology at the problem. This will only further inequality. Money may still trickle in, but that money will employ less people. As China becomes less viable for manufacturing because of rising wages and other factors, the Philippines may grab some of those jobs. But tech is set to destroy manufacturing jobs as well.

In other threads we have talked about why the Philippines should be open to expats. This is a good reason why. The Philippines needs a consumer class to generate domestic demand and move past exporting cheap labor. While expats may not have much money, they are still a consumer class. They still generate demand for goods and services which the bottom can't afford. Expats aren't looking for handouts and social benefits. Maybe the Philippines should make our stay here easier.

Tricky times ahead for everyone, especially the Philippines.

 

Tech kills jobs sure, but it also creates new jobs as well. Its the ongoing always changing cycle and tech workers have to constantly adapt to meet changing needs. New tech takes new people to manage and build that tech. It also opens new opportunities as well. Further lowering the costs through tech opens up the market for that product to more that may not have been able to afford the financial cost before.

The problem in the Philippines is call centers are NOT tech workers but pretty much acting as such. With that they won't be adapting and changing in the tech field but need to find the new thing that pops up and try and aquire new skills or more then likely here hope the next thing is very low skill requirements.

 

Seems SPi Global responded to the protest and acknowledged they were more than ready for any investigations by the Department of Labor etc, I had read but can not find at the moment the article documentation. It was in the February 21 edition of the Metro post, but not available now, as I can not find it. The also noted they had 5,000 employees. They claim they had documented the previous warning to the employees. That is going to be a problem for the 15 employees if the facts present by SPi global are true, unless Filipino politics come into play . It will be interesting how this turns out. How will the the government agencies respond; politically or legally. Are international employee treated like foreigners here? I do not know the politic. I have been told with the growth of BPO firms here there are a lot of younger people that can afford motorcycles and other luxury items here. That should be a overall benefit to the community as a whole, but 15 crying Filipinos can cause lot of problems even for other Filipinos. To me, it will depend if the Filipino pride issues raises it head on this issue.

SPI Global responds to dismissal issues - NegrosChronicle.com

If anyone can find the other press release by SPi Global please post it.