The loss of jobs resulting from U.S. corporations outsourcing production to foreign countries is emerging as a key issue in many elections this fall.

Democrats-and some Republicans-are especially criticizing opponents for favoring policies that shift jobs to China, and Democratic pollsters/advisors Stanley Greenberg and James Carville find from their surveys that fair trade arguments effectively persuade voters to support Democratic candidates.  

Even cursory conversations in working-class neighborhoods shows high concern about offshoring jobs. But it’s a top concern of moderately affluent professionals as well, as a striking recent Wall Street Journal poll revealed. Since 1999, the percentage of Americans who think free-trade agreements have hurt the country has risen dramatically, from 32 percent to 53 percent (while only about 18 percent currently think they’ve helped).

Tapping into the public anxiety about offshoring job losses, the AFL-CIO and its community affiliate, Working America, last week unveiled a new website feature called “Job Tracker” that allows anyone to search by zip code for companies that have outsourced jobs. While it is unlikely in itself to influence the elections, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka hopes it will help stimulate interest in policy proposals such as forcing Chinese currency revaluation and ending tax breaks that support increased job exports, in particular permitting multinational corporations to defer repatriating overseas earnings indefinitely and granting tax deductions when companies close U.S. facilities and move out of the country.