Of Interest

Rising costs and wages may signal an end to coastal China's role as a low-cost manufacturer to the world. Read more at the Chicago Tribune.

Meanwhile, if labor issues at Ikea's only U.S. manufacturing plant are an indication, the Swedish furniture maker may view the United States as a source of low-cost labor. Seriously. From the Los Angeles Times.

And if all that wasn't surprising enough, Walmart has emerged as a paragon of sustainability – just five years after receiving skeptical reviews at the launch of its first corporation-wide green initiative. By Leon Kaye at Triplepundit.com.

Of less surprise, new data from the Commerce Department answers the question, Where are the jobs? For every 10 jobs cut here in the past decade, U.S. mulItinationals created eight jobs overseas. From the Wall Street Journal.