Tell that to 80s coal miners and factory workers.

It's not a great comparison. Coal mining isn't knowledge work.

What - why?! Because knowledge work is more important for some reason?

Yes? For a tech company outsourcing software creation is like outsourcing upper management, sure you can do it but then you basically move the whole business. If you want to create an American tech company then the tech needs to be built in America. Indian tech companies are not nearly as successful as American ones, so you probably want to stay an American tech company today. Once India starts cranking out companies that beats out American ones you will probably see more tech companies move their entire HQ there, but until then they will mostly stay in USA.

Is that just because the total number of jobs that would be considered to be in your field went up by 10x in the last 20 years?

I mean, it worked out for one side of that equation