http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2011/05/05/the-rise-of-the-permanently-temporary-worker/


I’ve found this to be very true over the last 15 years, not just since the latest downturn in the economy. I’ve also been on both sides of that fence. Thankfully, my current employment was converted to full time status, which made sense to everyone at the time. I relish my health coverage and my “free” retirement additions by my company.


At the same time, I’m one of two full time employees out of about 15-20 on my current and extended team. And there are almost 50 contract workers working in our larger team from that same company. And I only see the pattern increasing, not decreasing. Everyone we add to our team is a contractor, not a full time employee.


There are some jobs that have to be done by FTEs so those will always be “protected”. In my opinion, anytime someone sees that the job can be centralized and off shored, the company is going to do it. It only makes good business sense. It allows them to keep costs lower so they don’t have to pass those costs on to the consumer.


As a stockholder, I want that from my company. As an employee, it makes me fear my job will be outsourced on a daily basis. I know many others who are in that same boat. Most people I know and work with also work with people in Brazil, China, and India. It’s a given in this day and age. You have to accept that and realize that it only makes sense for the companies to move in that direction.


At the same time, as an employee, you need to make sure that you’re ready for that shift. Unless your job is *truly* exempt from moving overseas, I expect many more jobs to continue to move to other countries where labor is less expensive than in the US. If that’s you, make sure to protect yourself. I highly recommend Manager Tools as a great place to learn about being a professional and how to keep yourself always ready for whatever might happen to your employment status.


Good luck to you in the future!!!