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NAFTA presents educational opportunities, challenges alike: are Mississippi workers prepared to compete in the global economy?

Article Excerpt
Whether or not you are a fan of NAPTA, or any other international trade agreement, the fact is that the world has changed dramatically in the decade since the North American Free Trade Agreement was instituted.

As predicted, hundreds of thousands of low-skill jobs have left the U.S., but there is some evidence to suggest that too much of the blame has been placed on NAFTA.

"Everyone thinks the job losses are strictly because of NAFTA," said Dr. John Lox, director of the international business program at Mississippi State University (MSU). "That is not necessarily true. Job losses are not just to NAFTA countries, but out towards India, China and the Philippines. Those tend to be low-wage jobs.

"There is evidence that productivity in the U.S. is still increasing even though the level of employment has remained relatively stable. We have an extremely high rate of employment in this country relative to other countries. That is a fact that people tend to forget. We still remain very competitive on the world scene."

MSU's international business program is a cooperative effort of the university's College of Business and Industry and the Department of Foreign Languages. Students get a joint degree...

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