What the **** does this post mean, exactly? "Hipster union-thugs"? What is that?
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Apple's Initial Investment in U.S. Mac Production Estimated to Create 200 Jobs
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What the **** does this post mean, exactly? "Hipster union-thugs"? What is that?
Yeah, Americans have never done assembly-line work, or even anything tedious, ever... like, in the whole history.
That is, if 200 is a real number. People here are saying that the source of this info is pulling the number out of its butt, but let's just wait and see.
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People who claim that all businesses are stealing their money and jobs. It's always funny to see some protestors complaining that the banks crashed the economy and that the banks should be dead, then a bank does die and hurts the economy more. It's also funny when they're all using iPhones
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Probably not. Apple sells stuff at market price, which is always significantly more than it costs for them to research and make the products. They're not Amazon.
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I met a professional union organizer that had a black belt and hands that looked like hams.
But I'm sure it was just a hobby.
You make a number of good and cogent points. I'm not certain that we disagree as much as you might think that we do.
I think, however, that you are missing a couple of important points.
IMO, we are at or near some kind of economic inflection point, much like the ones I cited in a previous post. I think that at such points, old ways of doing things need to be modified if the status quo has any hope of retaining power. IM(cynical)O the ground ceded by the status quo at other points was necessary to prevent larger losses, up to and including bloody armed revolution (like in France, or Russia, or gosh, like we had here twice in the last 200 years).
Laissez Faire capitalism is not sustainable. Regulated capitalism is the best economic system anybody has ever tried. The devil lies in the details, and I think that rational people differ in opinion only in regard to the details.
Your point about reeducation is something I agree with wholeheartedly. But if you have millions and millions of angry uneducable unemployed societal rejects living in the streets, well, then, eventually you have bigger problems. IM(C)O.
At best, this is a pilot run to test whether bringing back some manufacturing is possible. At worst, this is a PR stunt to appease politicians and the public with a quick headline. Foxconn has well over a million employees in China, the Apple PR was about 200 jobs...go figure.
Many problems remain:
- These are mostly low paying assembly jobs, over time more and more work will be done by robots. Foxconn is installing more robots as we speak, even in China:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57...ortedly-installing-robots-to-replace-workers/
- Supply chain remains in Asia. This only looks like end assembly to me. Virtually all the components are made in Asia. Cook of course only mentioned the exceptions to the rule in the NBC interview (Corning glass made in Kentucky...)
- US and western world lost manufacturing, supply chain skills in education. Look at skilled engineers per capita vs Asia. Most students in recent years wanted to get into finance or get an MBA, get-rick-quick...this is now hurting Western economies and can't be changed overnight.
Many problems remain:
- These are mostly low paying assembly jobs, over time more and more work will be done by robots. Foxconn is installing more robots as we speak, even in China:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57...ortedly-installing-robots-to-replace-workers/
- Supply chain remains in Asia. This only looks like end assembly to me. Virtually all the components are made in Asia. Cook of course only mentioned the exceptions to the rule in the NBC interview (Corning glass made in Kentucky...)
- US and western world lost manufacturing, supply chain skills in education. Look at skilled engineers per capita vs Asia. Most students in recent years wanted to get into finance or get an MBA, get-rick-quick...this is now hurting Western economies and can't be changed overnight.
Because of customers wanting to customize the Mac Pro, I think you are right. Plus, what other line would require so few employees for assembly? Because Mac Pros are so much bigger (at least the current model... who knows what Apple has planned for the promised 2013 update), it might make more sense from a shipping persepctive. I know nothing about shipping and related costs... I am just speculating.
As for those complaining that Apple will only create what some analysts are saying will be 200 jobs... First, it might be much more; second, it is a start; and third, Apple has created thousands of jobs in this country already either directly or indirectly... design, OS X/software, retail, components, third party app developers, etc. There has been a lot of valid criticism of Apple over the years, but Apple's attempt to bring some manufacturing back to the U.S. and create some much needed jobs is not something Apple should be blasted for.
Yeah, jobs uber alles!
But seriously, why is it better than no jobs? Do you really believe, there will EVER be enough jobs for everyone who´d like to have one?
No way.
We don´t need jobs, we need life quality. And that quality should not depend on having a job or not.
Because there will never be enough of them. And where is the use of people applying for jobs they don´t really want only because they HAVE TO?
Just give them money to live and those who want more will find jobs they really like to do.
Motivated people are more effective anyway.
The only reason this is happening is because our labor force has now weakened so much that they'll accept lower wages than living in this nation requires.
We're going to see plenty of manufacturing jobs come back, at less hours, less pay, little to no "benefits", and lesser working conditions. We are playing the race to the bottom (a system set up largely by the USA when it was beneficial at the beginning of globalization) and its come full circle.
We're going to see plenty of manufacturing jobs come back, at less hours, less pay, little to no "benefits", and lesser working conditions. We are playing the race to the bottom (a system set up largely by the USA when it was beneficial at the beginning of globalization) and its come full circle.
I think they're only going to do final assembly on custom build orders. The markup on those upgrades should cover even semi-decent wages no problem. Apple will just lower their earnings expectations slightly on that plant.
You bring up many valid points. However, there's a rub: how do we get the people play fairly? How do we get the CEOs to hire the best person for a specific job and not their wife's brother or someone who bribed the CEO into getting a job? There's been too many times where better off people get unfair advantages due to clout while some single parents work their butts off in 2 or jobs just so they can afford to put a roof over their kids' head & foo on the table.
In some ways, you are right that capitalism is the fairest, though heartless, system, but only if everyone plays fairly. Too many at the top have kept the bottom down.
C
champ01
Guest
In 2010 244.000 jobs were created.
62.000 of those jobs are at MC Donalds.
Go America.
Ignorance is bliss. Here is Los Angeles nearly ALL of the major schools like UCLA, USC, Cal State Northridge, etc etc etc -- Their engineering schools are ALL way north of a majority of Asians -- proportionately or not -- Chinese, Korean,etc. Whose at fault for that? Not one of my 22 cousins around college age have enrolled in engineering. My own father is an engineer.
Nobody is lying about this fact. America DOES NOT have ( at this time ) the skilled work set to make general CE production possible here.
I'm certain Apples announcement as well as others will begin a tide change.
If you think that laid off secretaries etc will somehow find their way in into CEM jobs -- DREAM ON.
Suddenly the term BACK TO SCHOOL has a whole new meaning.
I see it as doing this on a small scale to see if its feasible to bring more manufacturing back to the U.S. Makes no sense doing it large scale if it does not work well enough.
Maybe Apple is planning to build the new "Apple TV Set" in the US. They could build then here if they used enough automation, robots and so on.
Or it might be some low-volume Mac.
I'm betting it will be a new product of some kind that sells in low volume.
One more guess. They always have done their refurbishing here in the US. Perhaps they will combine assembly andrefurbs in the same place?
Or it might be some low-volume Mac.
I'm betting it will be a new product of some kind that sells in low volume.
One more guess. They always have done their refurbishing here in the US. Perhaps they will combine assembly andrefurbs in the same place?
IF that was the case we'd be seeing a plan for massive collaboration with SHARP (makers of the IGZO displays that will be the new "it" thing for a few years). I haven't heard any rumblings yet, but I'll keep an ear open.
In 2010 244.000 jobs were created.
62.000 of those jobs are at MC Donalds.
Go America.
While its easy to assume that wherever you are located -- your local economy may seem still way off a cliff. Some education - here in Los Angeles -- construction of new buildings, new businesses, new infrastructure projects, home sales etc ARE THROUGH THE ROOF.
Case in point - home sales : Areas east of Los Angeles -- homes for sale currently have 30 sometimes 40 buyers submitting offers ThE SAME DAY or a day or two later after being listed on the market. And yeah - generally the homes are closing $10,20,30 grand over asking.
After a five year lull things HERE are heating up. Companies like Google are hiring here, tons of new start ups, Apple is rumored to be planning offices here.
Industries here are way healthier. The film industry is thriving again - theme parks here showed record attendance - while I'm not professing it's all bliss right now for all, at least in this market -- it's clear the downturn has now begun an upturn.
Seriously the area in the workforce that will experience huge growth is healthcare. Technology will clearly benefit from the potentially 30/40 million new people who might come into that system once Obamacare takes its effect.
Apple itself has hired a ********* of people here in Cali - just in the last year, I'm sure Google, Facebook etc have all done the same. We r in the midst of a paradigm shift in the workforce. It's this generations technological revolution
Yes, one small (borderline PR stunt) plant is going to drive up the prices on a multibillion dollar company across the board.