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Journal article

Borrowed men on borrowed time: globalization, labour migration and local economies in Alberta

Date

1997

Authors

J. Smart

Abstract

NAFTA is part of the evolving entrenchment in globalization and the consolidation of the post-Fordist/postmodern era. Globalization is not a new phenomenon, but its intensification since the 70s in the form of industrial restructuring and trade liberalization has created a new set of economic and social conditions that have far reaching impacts for countries around the world. Moody (1995) suggests that the deindustrialization in the Canada-US rust belt gave rise to the “shanty industrialization” in Mexico; formerly well-paid, often unionized workers in the north are replaced or displaced by a growing body of “contingent workers” both at home and in partner countries. A central feature of globalization in the current era is the increased mobility of capital aided by both formal and informal free trade agreements (NAFTA, APEC, EU; ASEAN) and policies of modernization/development. This increased mobility of capital is driven by and in turn supports a drive towards increased flexibility of production systems (Drache and Gertler 1991) and flexible workforce deployment (Moody 1995) within and across territorial boundaries.

Journal title

Canadian Journal of Regional Science

Volume

20

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Economic sectors

General relevance - all sectors

Target groups

Researchers

Geographical focuses

National relevance

Spheres of activity

Economics and Political science

Languages

English