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The Daily Insight Hub

When did offshoring become a thing?

Author

Sarah Martinez

Updated on January 09, 2026

When did offshoring become so prevalent? The trend began in earnest in the late 1970s at large manufacturers such as General Electric. GE’s then CEO, Jack Welch, who was widely respected by other corporate chieftains, argued that public corporations owe their primary allegiance to stockholders, not employees.

When did companies start outsourcing?

Actually, the term dates to the 1970s, when manufacturing companies seeking efficiency began hiring outside firms to manage less-than-essential processes. Outsourcing worked. Today many manufacturers outsource 70% to 80% of the content of their finished products.

What are the disadvantages of offshoring?

5 Cons of Offshoring

  • Time Zone Differences and Proximity. One of the biggest disadvantages of offshoring is time zone differences.
  • Communication and Language Issues.
  • Cultural and Social Differences.
  • Geopolitical Unrest.
  • Displacement of U.S. Jobs.

    Who introduced outsourcing?

    “Do what you do best and outsource the rest” has become an internationally recognized business tagline first “coined and developed” in the 1990s by management consultant Peter Drucker.

    When did the offshoring of jobs become a problem?

    The offshoring of jobs and infrastructure became a significant factor in global economic development in the mid-20th century. Companies initially focused their outsourcing efforts on low-skilled or unskilled manufacturing jobs and simple assembly tasks ( see maquiladora ). By the early 21st century, however, the work being exported increasingly …

    What is the meaning of the term offshoring?

    See Article History. Offshoring, the practice of outsourcing operations overseas, usually by companies from industrialized countries to less-developed countries, with the intention of reducing the cost of doing business.

    Where are some countries that companies are offshoring to?

    Once companies are comfortable with services offerings and started realizing the cost savings, many high-tech product companies, including some in Silicon Valley, started offshoring innovation work to countries like Colombia, Belarus, South Africa, India, China, Mexico, Russia and Ukraine.

    What are some of the criticisms of offshoring?

    Offshoring. One of the more vocal criticisms of offshoring originates from workers in developed countries who claim that the number of jobs available to them has been reduced by the practice of hiring cheaper labour in other countries.