Final answer:
Early outsourcing was predominantly aimed at manufacturing to cut costs via cheaper labor abroad. Over time, the practice expanded to include IT and customer service.
Step-by-step explanation:
Early outsourcing efforts were primarily confined to manufacturing. This practice was largely due to the search for cost reductions through cheaper labor markets in less-developed countries.
As a result, a significant number of manufacturing jobs that were once domestic began to move overseas. While manufacturing was the initial focus, the scope of outsourcing has since expanded.
With globalization and improved technology, areas such as information technology (IT) and customer service also became heavily outsourced.
Especially indicative of this trend is the rapid growth of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) in countries like India and the Philippines, underscoring a global shift towards outsourcing in a variety of sectors.