Scarce resources would be used less efficiently and trade protection would likely lessen the level of competitive pressure that helps drive innovation. Moreover, lower productivity growth would likely lead to a slower improvement in a nation’s living standards over time. This negative consequence of higher trade barriers can be illustrated most starkly by the estimates of the costs per job saved through protectionist measures. Researchers that have studied this closely estimate that the costs per job saved from protectionist measures in the United States typically run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. To illustrate, consider the case of import restrictions on Chinese tires. The cost of a job saved was estimated at $ per year while the measures were in place, or more than 20 times the average worker’s compensation.5  Better Approaches to Deal With Globalization Rather than protectionism, a better policy would be to help domestic workers and companies compete more effectively, rather than compete less. We need additional mechanisms that allow us to more fully capture the benefits from liberalized trade and to more proactively mitigate its costs. Ideally, policy should also better address job losses and income inequality from automation and other technological advances. How we respond should depend on regional and industry circumstances. These include the nature of trade impacts, the skill sets and location of the workers that have been affected, and 5/6  BIS central bankers' speeches  the amount of resources that can be mobilized to facilitate adjustment.
This designation will be the Gold Standard in banking  2  BIS central bankers’ speeches  qualification and recognition. It will be jointly awarded with the Chartered Institute of Bankers. This award, I am confident, will be the catalyst that significantly elevates professionalism in the banking industry. I am most inspired by the theme of this year’s conference. It is pragmatic, realistic and aptly sums up the importance of talent management as we steer through the evolving financial landscape. Topics such as “Asia 2.0: Leading the Next Wave of Growth” and “Global Workforce Strategies CEOs Deploy to Achieve Leading Business Result” would be significant especially for HR practitioners managing multinational companies in Asia. Besides, topics such as “Are Our Graduates Employable?” will also be an interesting meeting point for HR practitioners and educators. I wish you an insightful and productive discussion. I trust that today’s conference is merely another step in the journey of intellectual quest that will continue long after this conference has ended. BIS central bankers’ speeches  3