What’s driving jobs abroad?
Companies are being forced to offshore jobs in response to the economic crisis, and to secure longer-term competitiveness in an increasingly global economy. Firms do not feel this would hamper their operational capability, and indeed would enhance their competitiveness and ability to thrive in a globalising world. Nearly half (49%) of respondents believe that their firm would be significantly more competitive if they moved more business functions outside the UK, and over three-quarters (76%) feel that by doing so they would be better positioned to take advantage of globalisation. More than half (52%) of the companies interviewed state that offshoring, outsourcing and sourcing to/from low-cost economies are absolutely critical to enhancing competitiveness and hence to ensuring the future health and success of their business. Meanwhile, more than three-quarters (78%) of UK-based global companies already considering offshoring functions cite cost structure competitiveness as a fundamental
