According to BusinessWeek computer programmers’ jobs in US are among those of highest risk of being outsourced. In 2006 there was only 396k of (various) computer programmers in US compared to 530k in year 2000. That’s change of (about) -25% in just 5 years.  It’s even worse for data entry clerks - they jobs fell by -35%! BUT, at the same time, statistics for demand of computer system designers and analytics (NOT programmers) are higher then ever.

Point taken I guess.

I’m sure you’ve heard already countless of times about outsourcing, flat word and all that… but the moment you read statistics like this it really hits you. Every single day you really ARE competing not just with an extra bunch of people on the market, but with (quite literally) hundreds of millions of skilled professionals out there - people probably equally smart as you, just will less opportunities (yet!) and with way way lower salary requirements than yours.

The only logic way to compete with them is to always keep one (or two?) step ahead - learn things they cannot learn (yet), work in professions they cannot do (yet). The question is - how long can  you keep that one-step-ahead distance? And what will happen when you cannot keep it anymore?