Job searching has become more difficult than ever during the recent economic downturn. Thousands of jobs have been shipped overseas, which has wreaked havoc on traditional blue collar industries. While the outsourcing began with factory workers and other unskilled labor, white collar jobs have increasingly been going overseas as well.

The cycle of history is repeating and this time American workers are feeling the effects. The Industrial Revolution began in Europe. Factories in Great Britain took raw American materials and turned out finished products. America slowly industrialized and took many of the manufacturing jobs that had once made Britain an industrial power. During the end of the 19th century, the British press lamented that every item seemed had the stamp made in America.

America’s manufacturing dominance has been lost to history. In the 1980s the American press lamented the every manufactured product said made in Japan. Twenty years later Japan and America worry that nearly every item seems to be made in China.

The lessons of history teach that labor will be shipped to markets that pay workers the least. American unions were fundamental in creating a middle class, but their success helped drive automobile manufacturing to other markets. This means that only highly skilled laborers have the ability to excel in the current market. Workers must hold unique skills that companies do not feel comfortable outsourcing.

For workers that do not have these skills, and need an income, there is a way to acquire skills while working. Attending college online is one way for workers with family obligations to acquire the skills necessary to become more marketable during a transitioning economy.

Relying on an economic turnaround or further government action is not a proactive approach. The once mighty Japanese economy fell into a prolonged slump that has been coined “The Lost Decade.” Relevant training can keep individuals from having one of their own.