By 2020, the combined forces of the United States, China and India will
account for more than 50 percent of all new economic growth, with the U.S.
supplying 16 percent of that, according to a report issued Thursday.
Globalization of companies will increase, the report predicts, and there will
be sizeable growth in global economic output despite only a 15 percent increase
in the work force.
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report, which was sponsored by Cisco
Systems Inc., surveyed 1,656 executives in over 100 countries. Other key
findings of the study were:
China's economy -- measured at purchasing power parity exchange rates -- will
be on par with the United States by 2020, and it will have the second largest
consumer market and the largest tech sector.
Asia's overall share of the global economy will rise to 43 percent from its
current 35 percent.
India will contribute 30 percent -- or 142.4 million -- to the 471 million
new workers entering the global work force.
The United States will contribute 12.5 million new workers, and the
overwhelming majority of new jobs will be in the service industry.
The nature of the work force will continue to change. Two-thirds of
executives surveyed for the report expect flatter organizations in which
independent decision-making and collaborative environments will be the
norm.