Outsourcing is an American based company using a factory in low-income country to make all or part of their goods.

What’s your opinion on the wages paid to textile factories abroad. “Going rate” for that country or exploitation of poor people? In some countries workers are children.

Keep in mind that America didn’t abolish young children in the workplace until 1938 with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Federally you can work as young as 14, some states have laws to make the age older. So we still technically have child labor in the US since you aren’t an adult until 18.

My opinion is that as long as the working conditions are safe and they are being paid a wage comfortable enough for their country’s economy, compared to how they would be here, it is okay. I do think it’s still American companies exploiting because they are taking advantage of the fact that there are poor countries, but I don’t see it as negative.

They are providing jobs for people in those countries that they might not have otherwise. If we did something here to regulate it or stopped buying, the first people hit would be the workers as they would lose their jobs. Some families in lower income countries don’t have the privilege for their children to not work and need the extra income. I don’t think it is for the US to police other countries, especially since we still allow non-adults to work. I think their countries need to improve their economy and quality of life and make their own decisions as to if they think morally and practically children shouldn’t work.

What do you think?