Taking into account the positive, the negative, the direct and the indirect effects, the most up-to-date empirical research suggests that globalisation has a small overall effect on output and employment in the US, that is just as likely to be favourable as being unfavourable, depending on the time period and the countries considered. The paper highlights the pioneering contribution of Freeman (2005), which suggests that even if trade with the South has not previously disadvantaged North workers, the doubling of the global labour force with India and China’s recent integration with the international economy may have profoundly unfavourable repercussions for AC workers.