Among the trends reshaping the U.S. workplace, more Americans see outsourcing of jobs, more immigrant workers and imports as negative rather than positive forces when it comes to their livelihoods, according to a Pew Research Center surveyconducted in August and September 2017.
But U.S. workers also see a bright side in some trends, with more Americans citing the growing emphasis on diversity, the increase of women in the workforce and more U.S.-made products being sold abroad as positive rather than negative. Views on the automation of jobs through new technology are divided.
Among Americans who are employed or have been looking for work, increased outsourcing of jobs to other countries tops the list of trends they say have hurt their job or career. Three-in-ten say this is the case, compared with roughly one-in-five (22%) who say the same about the growing number of immigrants working in the U.S. and 20% who blame a rise in imports. Overall, however, majorities say these factors haven’t made much difference in their job or career.
The extent to which these trends are seen as positive or negative varies by gender, race and ethnicity.
Men are more likely than women to say these three trends have hurt them personally. Some 36% of men point to outsourcing as having a detrimental effect on their job or career, compared with 24% of women. Men also are more likely than women to say the growing number of immigrant workers has harmed their careers (26% vs. 17%) and that having more foreign-made products sold in the U.S. has been a negative (24% vs. 15%).
Racial and ethnic differences emerge as well. For example, a quarter of whites and 21% of blacks say the growing number of immigrants has hurt their job or career, compared with just 11% of Hispanics.