Outsourcing Economics: Global Value Chains in Capitalist Development
In this book, William Milberg and Deborah Winkler propose an institutional theory of trade and development. They find that offshoring reduces employment and raises income inequality in countries that lack institutions supporting workers. They also find that offshoring allows firms to reduce domestic investment and focus on finance and short-run stock movements. Development has become synonymous with "upgrading" in global value chains, but this is not sufficient for improved wages or labor standards.