Forecasting the Impact of China’s Labor Strife

China’s economy has benefited from an abundance of cheap labor since the 1980s. But the recent suicides of 10 employees of electronics manufacturer Foxconn Technology and the massive strikes by employees of Honda have caused its government, and a number of companies, to increase wages for an increasingly resentful workforce. Ravi Ramamurti, Northeastern University distinguished professor of international business and director of the Center for Emerging Markets, analyzes China’s labor struggles and their impact on the global economy.