Whatever offshoring that will happen has happend. However, if American wages relative to Asian wages inflate, then the trend will Continue. For now Chinese wages are rising at a pretty fast rate that the total cost difference is dropping a lot.
So you think raising the minimum wage a few dollars will cause massive offshoring that would not have occurred if we left minimum wage alone? Not any real facts to support that. Retailers cannot offshore staff. Restaurants cannot offshore waitstaff and cooks and dishwashers. Companies cannot offshore drivers and delivery people. Regional businesses in the U.S. cannot just pick up and leave and take everything across the border. It is crazy to think outsourcing is done but minimum wage increases will suddenly send it all out the door. Even if China wages increase a lot it is still cheaper to make shit there than here nad will always be because of all the other costs outside of labor plus government intervention over there. When US puts dumping duties on Chinese goods, China gives those exporters tax credits to offset the duties while U.S. importer/consumers pay the duties. Minimum wage is a scapegoat for problems with U.S. industry but yet people who earn minimum wage are blamed for being poor and not making a living. We are not a manufacturing economy and most minimum wage earners are in the service sector. You cannot outsource that. I dont care if I have to pay $0.05 more for my whopper. Just like you dont want to pay more for your lettuce and tomatoes so you are happy that illegals are here picking it.
There's a new company out there cutting into retail, it may be coming to your town soon, it's called Amazon. And don't mind all the self checkout aisles at the remaining retailers or the self order kiosks at your favorite fast food restaurant. But I guess complaining about minimum wage seems like a viable solution. To some. Who ever said minimum wage was a career path anyway?
Yeah....how may drones are delivering your meat to the local grocery or driving food supplies to local restaurants. Duh.....you cherry pick really stupid examples to make a point. And are drones delivering packages to you on a regular basis? I didnt think so. Where are all these self driving cars out there replacing delivery trucks and Ubers and courriers??? Maybe don't watch the Jetsons like it is a documentary haha
So if a person is working minimum wage because that is the only job they can get, fuck them for choosing that career path? Must be nice to be you. Self checkout aisles have nothing to do with minimum wage or Amazon either. It is not all grocery stores, open your mind or crack a book.
20 - 30 years at best for regular individual package delivery. Right now you cannot even fly drones in most areas due to restrictions, you think drones are going to be allowed to cross state lines and deliver products to people's doors. What about commercial delivery? How does a drone make a delivery of an entire truckload of products? Do they lift a whole container from the port and fly over NY to get to Connecticut with 18MT container in their paws?
Nah, they chose the path and it is what it is. If they chose a different path, it wouldn't affect me either. Tell us why we have self checkout? Who said self checkout is in all grocery stores? Some people prefer to shop at Aldi while others prefer Erewhon Market. Again, it's about choices.