Final answer:
The qualitative impact of outsourcing is a decrease in a company's labor force, leading to job losses in developed countries as jobs are transferred to lower-cost locations. This can result in higher unemployment and necessitates the creation of new job types and worker retraining to maintain economic stability.
Step-by-step explanation:
One qualitative impact of outsourcing is that it decreases a company's labor force. This impact aligns with the broader trend of developed countries experiencing job losses as companies transfer manufacturing and service-industry positions to developing countries to take advantage of lower labor costs. As a result, there is a reduction in the availability of jobs, particularly in blue-collar and low-level clerical support positions. Additionally, even skilled positions like computer programmers are not immune to being outsourced. As companies aim for cost efficiency, they shift their operations overseas, leading to greater unemployment in the home country unless new kinds of jobs are created and the workforce is retrained.
The practice of outsourcing, while it can transfer certain risks to suppliers and streamline command structures, primarily impacts local employment. This process reduces the number of positions available domestically as part of the company's efforts to cut costs. It also causes shifts in the labor market, requiring developed countries to innovate and retrain their workforce to remain globally competitive and support globalization.