Final answer:
Miles has most likely witnessed activities originally completed in his U.S. car-manufacturing factory being outsourced to other countries. This outsourcing trend has been driven by globalization and the search for cost reductions, fundamentally changing the nature of manufacturing jobs in the U.S.
Step-by-step explanation:
Miles, who has worked on an assembly line in a U.S. car-manufacturing factory for the past thirty years, is most likely to have witnessed many of the activities that were formerly carried out in the plant being outsourced to other countries (Option C). The increased competition from foreign manufacturers and the rise of globalization have led to a significant shift in how manufacturing is conducted. Companies have sought to reduce costs by outsourcing various parts of the production process to countries where labor is cheaper.
Historically, as the manufacturing industry evolved, most factory work became unskilled in nature, with repetitive tasks that could be quickly learned. However, technological advances and the need for cost-cutting measures have seen a reduction in the sense of contribution that workers feel towards the finished product. Workers like Miles saw repetitive tasks that were once central to their roles either mechanized or outsourced, drastically changing the nature of manufacturing jobs.
The trend towards outsourcing, which has affected both blue-collar and white-collar jobs, has had a notable impact on the U.S. labor market. This shift has decreased the number of high-paying, often unionized, blue-collar positions stateside, as manufacturing roles are contracted to developing nations. This reflects the broader, global realignment of the manufacturing industry.