Electronic Bulletin, February 2009, No. 8

Electronic Bulletin
Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Hong Kong
February 2009, No. 8

(The Electronic Bulletin is an information service published by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General and provided to subscribers by e-mail and fax. Except for the U.S. Government sites, the opinions expressed on the Internet sites listed here do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Government.)

Outsourcing Poverty: Federal Contracting Pushes Down Wages and Benefits
By Kathryn Edwards and Kai Filion
Economic Policy Institute
February 11, 2009

The report is available online. (PDF file)*

*(To view and print PDF files, please download the FREE Adobe Reader.)

Federal agencies have been under pressure to reduce the size of their workforce and cut costs, creating the incentive to outsource government work through contracts with private businesses for goods and services. The brief examines the wage and benefit standards in government and contracted work. The outsourcing of government work through federal contracts is often done in the name of cost-saving. However, much of this saving does not come from greater efficiency in provision, but from the willingness and ability of private contractors to push down wages and benefits for employees.

Subject: U.S. Society