In a new report, Societe Generale argues that we're at the end of a cycle that began in 1980. The note is titled grandly: "A new world order, When demand overtakes supply."
At the end of the 1970s the industrialized world went looking for cheap labor and found it in Asia.
But now the boom in Asia is affecting the entire globe in ways that will bring new resource stresses.
Among the points the firm makes:
From 1980-2010 the global population grew by 2.5 billion (mostly 15-64 year olds)
2/3rds of those 15-64 year-olds came from Asia (excluding Japan)- that's a huge shift in the labor market and demand.
The industrialized world's labor force is set for a 5% decrease by 2030 - so lower productivity, and again more stresses.
Add it all up: lots more demand, and not necessarily as much supply. The shift between cycles will be "chaotic and long winded," says Societe.
