Here we present the results of the March 23 ASI E-News survey.

It's been said that the temporary job is the "new" full-time job as companies use the recession to eliminate benefits and get the most production out of fewer workers. Do you agree with this assessment?

Yes: 80.36%
No: 19.64%

It's been argued that U.S. companies cannot compete with Third World economies due to U.S. labor laws, regulations and health & safety restrictions. Do you agree?

Yes: 56.9%
No: 43.10%

Comments:

“Competition with Third World economies is difficult but not impossible. It takes creativity, not just targeting the cost of employing human beings.”

“Any employee working in any American company must always view their job as being temporary. This has been the case for decades. Employees — at all position levels and at all experience levels — are expendable. As for Third World economies taking away U.S. jobs, this trend will continue to erode the U.S. economy and job base, especially in the manufacturing sector, although high-tech jobs are increasingly being farmed out or relocated to foreign shores, too.”

“Innovation is key to economic growth. Let's not give ourselves excuses here in the United States to become mediocre.”

“Too many restrictions and the high cost of insurance and taxes have priced the U.S. out of the global marketplace.”

“Regarding competition with Third World economies: It's not that U.S. laws are bad, its the fact that Third World laws are poor. Third World labor law needs to be brought to our level of health, safety and environmental protection.”

“Products that can be easily shipped and made using unskilled labor cannot be made in the U.S. anymore. There is lots of unskilled labor in the U.S., but labor laws and regulations make it non-competitive.”

“(The U.S.) can’t compete because of labor costs as well. Labor costs are much less in Mexico and China, which translates to lower (overall) costs compared to the U.S.”