It has happened because rich-world companies have replaced workers with new technology to boost productivity and shifted production from labour-intensive products such as textiles to higher-tech, higher value-added, sectors such as pharmaceuticals.

ECONOMIST: Economics

Poor countries need to sell their labour-intensive and farm products to rich ones.

ECONOMIST: The poor who are always with us

Developed economies have lots of skilled workers, whereas emerging economies have lots of low-skilled ones, so according to the theory advanced countries will specialise in capital-intensive products requiring skilled labour and emerging economies in low-tech products.

ECONOMIST: More pain than gain

The single best thing that America and Europe can do for Africa is not to spoon out charity but to allow Americans and Europeans to buy the products that Africa is capable of producing competitively not just agricultural products but also labour-intensive manufactures such as textiles and leather work.

ECONOMIST: Emerging Africa

The weak dollar has rendered American labour more competitive, but not enough to rejuvenate low-margin, labour-intensive manufacturing in industries such as textiles, furniture or paper products.

ECONOMIST: Exports and the economy