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Globalization has intensified challenges for rural regions. As countries have become increasingly aware of the need to increase innovation, resources are being allocated towards making cities and technology-intensive industries more competitive. While urban areas focus on knowledge and technology intensive areas, rural regions face distinct challenges in the push for greater economic prosperity. This article examines how the Global Value Chain (GVC) framework can be a key asset to policy makers interested in rural development by providing guidance on how to connect rural regions to globalized industries. GVC analysis has grown in popularity as a framework to facilitate economic prosperity, but has not yet been rigorously applied towards specific rural regions, only rural countries. This paper demonstrates the potential for the GVC framework to help rural areas leverage their strengths to become players in the global economy. The application of the GVC framework is focused on North Carolina's automotive industry, in which researchers studied employment and wage data, educational infrastructure, key firms, and broader industry trends. The results of the GVC analysis led to several recommendations for North Carolina to increase its global competitiveness in the automotive sector by continuing to strengthen the community college system, invest in light-weight technologies and capture more of the value in high-tech parts manufacturing. The implications of the case study in Appalachia reveal the strengths of the GVC framework to applications in rural regions and communities. The holistic nature of the framework allows for the successful use of the GVC framework to both understand the advantages of a rural region and identify key strategies that will allow the region to generate value in globalized industries. By using Appalachia's trucking industry as a case study, the findings of this study lay a foundation for the future application of GVC analysis to be used by rural regions seeking greater participation in globalized industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the relationship between offshoring and the labor market in an occupational choice model of trade and endogenous growth where workers are employed on the basis of their individual skill levels. Trade liberalization leads to offshoring and reduces employment in the manufacturing sector. Displaced workers move into traditional and innovation sectors according to their skill levels, shaping real wages and aggregate productivity in the manufacturing sector. The paper aims to show how inter-sectoral labor market adjustments, highlighted by skill heterogeneity, could be a possible explanation for the simultaneous rise in productivity and reduction in real wages that have coincided with the sharp escalation of offshoring activities in the U.S. manufacturing sector since 2004. ( JEL F16, F23, J24) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops four propositions that show that changes in the global job market for science and engineering (S&E) workers are eroding U.S. dominance in S&E, which diminishes comparative advantage in high tech production and creates problems for American industry and workers: 1. The U.S. share of the world's science and engineering graduates is declining rapidly as European and Asian universities, particularly from China, have increased S&E degrees while U.S. degree production has stagnated. 2. The job market, has worsened for young workers in S&E fields relative to many other high-level occupations, which discourages U.S. students from going on in S&E,-but which still has sufficient rewards to attract large immigrant flows, particularly from developing countries. 3. Populous low income countries such as China and India can compete with the U.S. in high tech by having many S&E specialists although those workers are a small proportion of their work forces. This threatens to undo the ‘North-South’ pattern of trade in which advanced countries dominate high tech while developing countries specialize in less skilled manufacturing. 4. Diminished comparative advantage in high-tech will create a long period of adjustment for U.S. workers, of which the offshoring of IT jobs to India, growth of high-tech production in China, and multinational R&D facilities in developing countries, are harbingers. To ease the adjustment to a less dominant position in science and engineering, the U.S. will have to develop new labor market and R&D policies that build on existing strengths and develop new ways of benefiting from scientific and technological advances in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to address the root causes of rising imbalances in the US economy. There is the view that the dominance of the liberal economic philosophy among the American decision makers and business elite resulted in marginalization of the role of the economic government. As a result, the US economy is facing problems in many sectors and might be poorly prepared to face the challenge of globalization in the knowledge-based industries. Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides review and critique of the contemporary literature of "declininists" proclaiming the end of the American Empire. Findings - In order to restore the strength of the US economy and utilize its potential, Americans must consider a new generation of politicians and legislators capable of reforming the tax system, stepping up the supervision of the financial sector, eliminating inequality in education and reforming the electoral system. Research limitations/implications - America is at a turning point. The problems of the American economy are home-made, but their implications are international. In the last two decades the USA pursued a dysfunctional dual dependence on imports of manufactured goods and capital. Allowing the dollar devaluation has been a short-sighted policy which will have dire consequences on import-dependent economy and the USA's position in the world economy. Liberal prescriptions of self-regulating markets cannot replace long-term government economic strategy which America badly needs today. Practical implications - Since the liberal wishful-thinking failed, economists, politicians and legislators should stop evoking conservative liberal mantras and start working on responsible economic policy solutions before the US economy plunges into a deep recession and years of damaging pessimism. Originality/value - Rather than repeating arguments of the authors proclaiming the end of American Empire, the paper looks for chances and opportunities for the US economy's rejuvenation in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effects of trade liberalization and the risks associated with participation in the global trading system on women’s integration into national labor markets. Using data from 1970 to 1995, I identify two global determinants of the female share of national labor markets: trade openness and transnational corporate penetration. Several local predictors of women’s labor force participation are also identified. While a cross-sectional analysis indicates that women have been pulled into national labor markets as a result of neo-liberal economic reforms, more dynamic models show that these same forces can also lead to a preference for male, rather than female labor. Moreover, the analyses specify that the effects of trade openness and trade risk on female labor force participation are determined by position in the world-system and region. These results illustrate that arguments about the relationship between globalization and the feminization of the labor force, are too simplistic and neglect to account for the diverse consequences of global economic expansion on gender relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - To respond to a criticism of an earlier paper. Design/methodology/approach - The approach is the statement of a counter argument. Findings - Positive if argument is convincing to readers. Originality/value - This reply is of interest to readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between economic growth, globalization and trade. The manuscript uses the assumptions of the economic growth exogenous and endogenous models. It introduces new proxies for explain the economic growth as in intra-industry trade, foreign direct investment and globalization index. The results indicate that economic growth is a dynamic process. The intra-industry has a positive impact on economic growth. This paper confirms relevant theoretical hypothesis as foreign direct investment and globalization promotes the economic growth. The good results obtained with GMM system estimator suggest that the building of dynamic theoretical models will be of interest to academic researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The competition that permeates the public sector acts as a force to discipline public sector actors. But it also serves to build links between the volume of goods and services supplied by public bodies and the prices that citizens must pay for them. Globalization, by permitting a greater mobility of capital, makes it possible for larger business corporations to become more effective oligopsonists when bargaining with governments for the goods and services they need, thus weakening the links between the things provided to citizens and the prices the latter must pay. Equalization payments, by permitting more effective intergovernmental competition, reduce the negative effects of globalization on the links that competition forges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]