Final answer:
The long-term effect of big companies outsourcing jobs, according to the author in Passage 3, particularly paragraph 24, is economic instability due to reduced domestic investment and job opportunities. This is represented by answer D, which emphasizes the necessity of businesses investing in local jobs and providing fair deals to workers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question addresses the long-term effect of big companies outsourcing jobs. According to Passage 3 and specifically paragraph 24, the author suggests that outsourcing jobs results in a negative impact on the economy of developed countries. The correct answer is D: "...we can't maintain an economy of our size if our businesses don't invest in jobs, build things here, and cut working people an honest deal." This statement reflects the central idea that outsourcing hinders economic stability by reducing domestic job creation and investment, which are crucial for a robust economy.
Outsourcing jobs, often to countries where labor is cheaper, leads to a decline in manufacturing jobs available domestically, as illustrated by the loss of 105,900 manufacturing jobs since 2000 (paragraph 23). The impact extends beyond blue-collar manufacturing jobs to include white-collar service jobs too. Customer service positions, technical support roles, and even higher-skilled jobs like computer programming have seen significant outsourcing to international locations. The overarching theme is that the pursuit of cost savings through outsourcing comes with the long-term effect of job losses domestically, increased unemployment rates, and the societal consequences of income inequality and reductions in economic opportunities within developed countries. It becomes evident that without new job creation or training for the workforce to adapt to the shifting economy, support for globalization may falter (paragraph 24).