How H-1B workers affect U.S. jobs
There's been severe political backlash this year against highly-skilled foreign workers due in part to legislation surrounding the financial crisis. Renita Jablonski talks to Professor Robert Kennedy, who covers globalization in his new book.
Cover of "The Services Shift: Seizing the Ultimate Offshore Opportunity" by Robert Kennedy (FT Press)
More on Jobs, International
TEXT OF INTERVIEW
Renita Jablonski: Today is the day U.S. companies can tell their immigration laywers to file for H-1B visas. These are the visas for highly-skilled foreign workers. University of Michigan Business Professor Robert Kennedy is with us now. He happens to be in India on a student recruiting trip, where a good chunk of these workers come from. Professor, what's the tone around the application process this year?
Robert Kennedy: There's a big political backlash this year, largely because of the financial crisis. And there's kind of, you know, globalization backlash, against NASA, against China imports and against, you know, bringing in foreign workers into the U.S.
Jablonski: Part of that includes critics who called the H-1B visa program a real obstacle to Americans getting jobs during this very tough recession.
Kennedy: Yes, that's true, I mean that criticism's out there. But there's a lot of reasons to think that there's not a lot of displacement going on. First of all, the fairly complicated procedure -- you have to file, you have to wait a few months to get approval. There's, you know, many, many times more applications then there are approvals -- there's about 65,000 permitted per year. But this is only one-twentieth of 1 percent of the total U.S. workforce.
Jablonski: Complicating things this year is a provision in the legislation around the bank bailout money that says financial firms that take government funds are restricted from hiring H-1B visa holders. I'm wondering if foreign workers are right now discouraged by this type of thing or if some of the protectionist sentiment that's out there right now.
Kennedy: I think there's a bit of that. And there's two ways to look at this: one is actually applications for H-1B visas, and I suspect that there'll be a small decline in the applications. A different way to look at it, though, is we're in the middle of admissions season in graduate schools. I'm a professor at Michigan's business school, the Ross School, and we're actually seeing a decline in all international applications across the board. And they're quite worried that they're going to go and spend $100,000 on an education and then not be allowed to work.
Jablonski: Robert Kennedy is the director of the William Davidson Institute at the business school at the University of Michigan. His new book is "The Services Shift: Seizing the Ultimate Offshore Opportunity." Professor, thanks so much.
Kennedy: OK, thank you.
Comments
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From South Florida, FL, 11/01/2009
Dear American People,
You have forgotten how this country had been created. Immigration is good for the country and that's is the reason why Companies in the USA hire "WELL EDCUATED AND TRAINED PEOPLE" -
America is and will be a country of immigrants.. Wheather you LIKE IT OR NOT.
Ask to yourself what can you do to be better in life instead of critizing good inmigrants..
ASK YOURSELF WHAT CAN I DO TO IMPROVE MYSELF MY EDUCATION MY COUNTRY.
-Good luck.. and remember ... USA is a country of inmmigrants..
From Tacoma, WA, 08/06/2009
I’m an over 40 white male and used to have a good paying I.T. job with the state but lost it in '07. Many of the jobs there were being filled by women, Canadians, and people from India. I guess it doesn't matter that I paid taxes all my life, have a contemporary degree from a quality American university, and work very hard to do a job efficiently and effectively. So much for the “American dream.”
From Great Falls, VA, 08/03/2009
Hi! I am an unemployed pharmacist and could not disagree more with you! The H1B pharmacists recruited by the chains have no problem standing for 14 hours without a break and dealing with abusive patients and store managers. Most have a limited command of our language. I think they should all go home, and fast!
06/18/2009
Hire foreigners in the US with a US degree. What is the point in bringing in foreign workers who do not have any US degree. These workeers are being exploited by being brought here and getting paid low salaries than American workers. Hire foreign born workers with US degrees only. That is what congress must do.
05/12/2009
Guys,
No more comments that will boil your American blood unnecessarily.
Think global, you'll have millions of jobs to choose from, think American and you'll just have few hundreds.
This time global economy need selfless American talent, not American materialism & arrogance. I am pretty sure this time they won't tolerate it either.
If you are really smart, correlate links below with what i've & third world highlighted.
This is about 75% of world economy trying to get rid of your golden eggs in their baskets.
Japan ditching USD instruments
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8046599.stm
China Bilateral Currency Swaps
http://www.chinaknowledge.com/Newswires/News_Detail.aspx?type=1&NewsID=22455
Dollar looses Shine in India.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=a4zLUifSh7pg&refer=india
And in Russia,
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124214246152311019.html
05/08/2009
lucks enunciates everything i've ever wanted to state about the interaction of USA and the rest of the world, especially in relation to the global role of American corporations, flow of labor and goods, but my eloquence falls short of his. good work, lucks.
05/04/2009
Foreigners do criticize other countries as well, but this article is America and H1B specific.
We would love to criticise Iran for nuclear program, Venezuela for dictator ship, Germany for its hegemony over EU monetary policies, France for protectionism, Nigeria for Corruption.
But, US of A should and must take its share of blame and remove contradictions in it own policies and system.
For your comment , allow me to rephrase to make it more clear....
"Amazing how the Americans love to criticize foreigners when in their own country foreigners are now being marginalized for so called equal employment oppurtuinities, sometimes beaten and even killed. (Read Mexican immigrant assault and death case).
Even worse they even go and beat foreigners in their home countries, create cracks in their governance structure .... so that their multinational organizations can parasite and flourish on their natural resources."
Peace!!! You guys are mighty powerful and I am aware of consequences of going overboard.
Don't misread me, I am still 100% with you guys in abolishing H1B, E2, TN and all other visas. In fact, other countries should abolish work visa's used by American MNCs to protect American jobs. I even support new tax increase for MNCs.
American people want this and I really respect democracy and capitalism. This time it is really in interest of Global economy. Markets will be corrected, and someone will be accountable for broken promises and pledges someday.
From TX, 05/01/2009
Amazing how the foreigners love to criticize Americans when in their own countries they would be beaten for their attitude.
04/22/2009
Hey Mathew,
No reason no specifics? I am sure you are not xenophobic.
I am 100% with you in stopping H1B and all other work visas, provided you raise your voice against American Corps from doing business in other nations.
Let work together, you work for my cause and I'll work for yours. Both of us will have thousands of good paid jobs.
You are part of global economy, like it or not, even protectionism won't protect you anymore.
From washington, DC, DC, 04/21/2009
Get Rid of the rest of the 44000 H1B. They are bringing the IT RAtes Down.
H1B employees suck blood from US employees.
04/20/2009
Hey Guys,
I've heard US is planning to import Doctors and Nurses to take care of your Baby Boomers?
On average there are more Primary Healthcare Specialists in Cuba than USA, but you are still better coz you are "American", so let's stop the import and learn to take care of them. You don't want foreign doctors/nurse to take away American jobs.
You know it's so easy to treat them, clean them, take care of them. You... Yes you who is reading this forum, can do it!
Quote: "H-1B and other programs L1, etc are socialist wage manipulation programs. "
Oh Yeah! Why then it was started in hardcore Capitalist country like US of A in first place?
H1B workers are interested in becoming part of "YOUR" capitalistic thought process and strangely you are pushing them out? Then you go on with communism and socialism bashing, opposition and even wage wars. Fix yourself first.
You have strange love hate relationship with your governance model. You don't like it....... if Greed results in outsourcing or H1B, but you are still proud of it and want spread it all around the world.
Quote : "According to the latest USCIS and State Department data, over 100K H-1B visas are approved and issued each year. Hundreds go to people lacking the equivalent of a US high school diploma; thousands lack the equivalent of a US bachelor's degree. "
Educational credential evalutation are first step in Labour certification. INS and USCIS rejects all application that are not upto Bachelors equivalent.... This is STEP ONE.
I seriously wish that H1B should be stopped ASAP, at least it will stop infatuation of younger generation from rest of world towards American education system and corporations.
After American Corporations I want to see American Univs going for chapter 11 when money from third world students ceases to pour in. After all, "All American univs are filled with 100% American students".
In my opinion less-talented people should concentrate on improving rest of world than becoming slave to "SELFISH" (I won't shy away from this word) American generation.
Please I beg you to stop H1B at once, and lets see the after effects....
I've personally tracked business decision of your multi billion dollar CEOs in past 12 years, right from selling international fibre optic operations or selling portfolio in Indian, Brazilian or Chinese stocks markets, believe me they were just FANTASTIC. Just follow their lead and keep looking at DJIA and NASDAQ. You'll love the show, in fact you already do.. don't ya?
As for reaping the rewards, you Americans have made huge profits from both H1B and outsourcing. Why you are not getting some? Go and ask your CEOs, Bankers and government. Wait ... wait.... wont that be "SOCIALIST"?
BTW, I am not on H1B or need H1B, I am capitalist, GLOBAL worker and I would love to compete with talented American workers.
My wife has Post Doc in biofuels that's backbone of your next economic boom.
"Anyone with at least PhD who wants to claim her job?"
Yeah you can, your kids can create biofuels out of Xboxes and Playstations anytime. (Sarcasm intended.... as you guys are disrespectful to H1B workers yourself)
From austin, TX, 04/17/2009
25% of silicon valley companies were started by H1B Immigrants!
Stopping H1B, America will be the loser.
Companies like Microsoft and Oracle will move their divisions to India
04/16/2009
I'm an H1B. 90% of the jobs that I have ever applied for, say "oh we like your resume and skills, but we don't do sponsor H1's. Sorry"
Which means the job stays vacant. What does that show? There are jobs open to just americans. specially in DOD, clearance, smaller co's who can't sponsor or afford H1s. Dice is a hoax. 60% of jobs come from networking, and skills, not online.
I did my Grad in a US univ. My class in college...100% internationals. NOT one american. why? Is the university discriminating?
From Tallahassee, FL, 04/14/2009
Hardly any of the H-1b recipients are "highly-skilled", and the statutes and regulations allow them to be used to displace gifted US citizens. DoL classifies most as in the bottom quartile. Estimates vary, but it appears that only between 0.5% and 8% would qualify for the label "best" or "brightest".
According to the latest USCIS and State Department data, over 100K H-1B visas are approved and issued each year. Hundreds go to people lacking the equivalent of a US high school diploma; thousands lack the equivalent of a US bachelor's degree.
The law requires payment of "prevailing wages", but then defines "prevailing wages" in such a way that they can be below the local market compensation for US workers with the same skills, etc., doing the same kind of work... and they usually are. Multiple studies from academe, GAO, DoL, and the professional associations all demonstrate that H-1B recipients are under-paid.
Employment in the core field of software product development has been flat since 2001, according to BLS data. Body shopping and off-shoring, OTOH, have been encouraged and facilitated by the E-3, F (with OPT), H-1B, J, and L visa programs.
From Dayton, OH, 04/10/2009
H-1B and other programs L1, etc are socialist wage manipulation programs. By artificially lowering the price of a commodity(in this case labor) by increasing supply prices are pushed down and suppliers(in this case American students and workers) stop production(are replaced by cheaper H-1B holders or leave the field due to poor job security lower pay etc)
I'm a fifth generation American Engineer of mixed ancestry(including native American) I'm in my 30's and unemployed after training a much less knowledgeable (by cheaper) H-1B worker.
I wish I would have NEVER gone into engineering as it has become a very poor career choice for Americans.
I would not recoommend American students enter Engineering or technical fields as long as mass worker replacement like the much abused H-1B program exist.
04/07/2009
I dun think this will make any difference. Not only two years we can STOP the h1b visas anymore. H1b is only allowed for educated people not for people who cross border who dun even speak english. America cannot do anything about that insted it is trying to do something in H1. Do everyone know that what kind of job Canada is offering if you had done your bachelore's. Now its time to move on. We dun need this kind of thing in this country anymore. Let all American people work by themselves and lets see how the economy will grow like before. I dun even know how they define as American people. This country is all of us. Here no one is American. Whoever we living legally, we are American.
From sfo, CA, 04/06/2009
Why is everyone blaming the H1B's? It is the American companies that want to save money. They do not give a damn about how they save the money and increase their profits which is reported on wall street every quarter. Instead of blaming the H1B's you should try to change the US policies on H1b and stop the companies from hiring h1b's. In that case the companies will outsource and go out anyway. All they care is their profits not you and me.
From Toronto, ON, 04/06/2009
Hello Jpe et al,
My point was simply that the real or imagined advantage that H1B program is giving other countries is infinitesemal smaller
than the advantage that the US consumer indirectly forces out from other countries, especially third world countries which
are already heavily victims of abject poverty created largely by policies of Western countries. Globalization has enriched a
section of third world but has wreaked havoc on many other sections within the same societies. Did you guys here read about
the farmer suicide epidemic in India? US farm subsidies funded by inflation neatly and bloodlessly exported to other
countries coupled with patents regime has totally rigged the international trading system again the small and marginal
farmers in poor countries. He became the servant where he was the owner, having lost his economic freedom - the only freedom
that matters- to large US based multi-nationals. The poverty that Mexico and other countries are exporting to US through
illegal or legal immigration is the poverty and economic discontent that US has created in those countries in first place and
continues to create through its need-of-the-hour fiscal and monetary policies. So you are in a way reaping the wild oats you
sowed yourself.
Each time US economy is in crisis (which is going to be perpetually its state going forward since it has no manufacturing
base to speak of that bring real income 'injections' in the classical Keyensian sense ) all the US Fed does is to siphon out
more purchasing power from the currency reserves of other countries and transfer it to the reckless US consumer who is
further egged to consume even more recklessly to 'stimulate' the economy. The result is an economy which in perpetual boom
and bust state. But what is even sadder is that eact time US stimulates another boom is by consfiscating the wealth of other
poor nations which are already reelign in abject poverty. This would be considered a criminal enterprise if a private group
of citizens was involved in it but US can get away with it because at a national and international level no mouse has the
courage to bell the cat.
In 1960s Alan Greenspan himself wrote in an essay that inflation is quickest and easiest way for the state to confiscate the
wealth of its citizens. Sadly when he became he controlled the Fed he implemented this wealth confiscation methodology at
both national and international levels taking full advantage the world economic system which rigged in favor of US.
Looking back the world should not have allowed US to violate the Bettenwood (spell?) accord in 1971 by decoupling the USD
from gold standard which allowed the US to rig the world monetary system in its favor to fuel its mindless spending on
consumer goods and wars overseas.
How long the world (including concentious American citizens who became party to this colossal fraud unwittingly) would
continued to be fooled? They say you can fool some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time.
I think we are fast moving past the stage where only some of the people were being fooled. China and Russia are already
grumbling and making disgruntled noises. This recession is slowing going to bring the economic consciousness of the world to
a stage where you would need to fool all of the people all of the time to continue to feed off this system rigged in your
favor. Since last 2-4 weeks I have seen the discussions about alternate world currency appear in the media the world over.
This frightens us too in Canada because our own economy is heavily dependent on the US. Unless we decouple ourselves from US
economically in coming years in signifant way , we are going to sink with this economic Titanic.
Personally I have started liquidating my long term USD investments and would advise the same to others. It is a matter of few
years , perhaps a decade, before the grossly over valued USD collapses. I am not worried too much about a few H1Bs being able
unfair adavantage (wherever it applies)because the boot is going to be on the other foot in a forseeable future.
Regard
04/06/2009
Hey Joe,
Is it sunny in SFO? Seems like you are happy with USD getting overvalued.... Now, Why it is overvalued in other countries? How this relates to H1B?
Well, reason is this makes USA attractive destination for Global workers and you have more H1B workers..
Why other countries overvalue USD?
Other countries had no choice (It's changing though), USDs were market'ed and even force fed to other poor countries via IMF, World Bank as sweet rescue loans and even as petrodollars.
Resulting principal payments, interests artifically creates new demands for US dollars and it become overvalued. Please you are not almighty economy, you are just consumers with voracious appetite.
Let me ask, with all due fairness would you personally recommend or favour decoupling of USD as world currency? Calls for a new currency are never successful, coz USA excerises its might everytime.
There were times when USD was backed by gold. This technically would have stopped treasury from mass printing USD.
If capital is needed to service debt, put some collateral into the market, instead of selling products, assets or hugh gold reserves you have and then buying dollars back from China or Middle east, your solution is to print and export inflation.
Americans also don't want to others to buy any assets, Remember "CNOOC (Chinese Oil Company) & DPW (Dubai Ports World)". It ideally would have helped US and Global economy. but I would say again it is "selfish" interest.
We want to keep our precious gold safe, just give them useless green painted paper. Never mind, World is already asking for more SDR loans and doing bilateral currency swaps.
Crazy, Rest of world is forced to sell it material wealth in USD and when they want to use same USD to buy something American, it becomes National Security issue.
enuf said, next few months with show what happens to US Dollars? Our analysis won't change its destiny....
Back to the point, H1B Workers,
Don't American Entrepreneurs and Corporations, themselves outsource to cut the costs. They conceptualize products, create prototype and send it to China or Mexico for bulk production.
Now, there is "No H1B" involved in it, but you kill manufacturing jobs for your own countrymen, strangely you are not against this way of doing things? Why it benefits you?
If H1B workers send back work to their nations, they are just removing redundant, brainless work. Doesn't it makes sense to do the same copy cat work at lower cost?
Trust me if those corporations have had hired workers to do that same brainless work in America. Financial crisis would have started six years back.
Now, instead of training themselves and innovating new things for global economy (as claimed and pledged in WTO, G20 etc etc), Why you guys still want those copycat jobs, while claiming that you are more capable?
Jobs with innovative thinking are still be left for you guys. If H1B guys are claiming skilled innovative jobs too, then their (H1B) claim is justified, US economy and corporations do really needs them.
If 65,000*6+ H1B workers leave immediately selling their homes and cars, Imagine.....
a) Affect on housing market, rental and others....
b) Car sales will be down... as they will be virtually dumping their cars to go back home.
c) Capital outflow... they will take the wealth they've earned out of US and companies that bring H1B workers will leave too.
d) Exponential rise in back office costs for American Corporations, who are already running short of capital.
e) Trade wars as those countries won't invest in US.. India buys American arms, softwares, hi tec... China even buys your debt.... worth billions? nay trillions...
f) You guys are also against L1, E3 visa, TN Visa? Lets eliminate those too and you are out of 8 million more jobs dependent on trade with Canada and Australia.
I'd say you'll be looking at just depressions and no recovery for a long long long long time...
Remember you are being dragged down into a quicksand and only hope for rescue are ropes that are pulling you out (trade relations, international cooperation), H1B is one such rope.
It is helping other countries pull "YOU" and themselves out of this sink hole. Cut the ropes, other developing nations won't be affected that bad, but you surely will go deeper.
Guys wealth you had, has been puffed out from your Cars into air around you... Now, be responsible and collect it back from there, it is your new wealth.
Care of Koyoto, environment and above all send your kids back to school and please stop blaming H1Bs unnecessarily for job losses
btw..I am not on H1B.
From San Francisco, CA, 04/06/2009
Hey Luks Sher,
I like the passion with which you write.
But it is not U.S. workers or the U.S. government that over-values the dollar. It is people in other countries that over-value the dollar.
BTW, there are plenty of enterprizing U.S. citizens to take the place of any company that uses H-1b labor.
One thing is true, while most people only see the top companies Microsoft, Google, people just never realize that there are dozens of companies with a Search engine, dozens with a mapping engine, dozens with an O.S.... and so on, and so on... .
U.S. Capitalism has a redundancy of talent (so much so that originality is the actual premium). To be efficient we need originality, not what we are getting which is venture capital sucking in generic engineer A to start generic Search Engine B.
So when people say, we need H-1b's to keep the economy afloat, I have to ask, isn't really about an entrepreneur that wants to cut cost to bone, because basically he is selling the exact same thing a dozen other companies are selling. (and isn't this the actual way we really over-valuing the dollar, thus leading to the inevitable collapse when the U.S. default or million percent inflation when the U.S. prints money?)
Further, 1 engineer can remove 200 jobs a year from the U.S. economy. All they have to do is document the activities of the work of locals, and send the docs and training back home via video link. So even a small percentage of copy-cat engineers is all that is needed to damage the trade system, and create massive un-orginal-copycat thinking in other countries.
That is why the big Indian IT outsource companies are heavy users of h-1b, and don't want to hire U.S. citizens for U.S. based jobs. Indeed these companies are using their huge chunk of h-1b visas to remove millions of U.S. jobs.
04/05/2009
Its pure stupidity to say that H1B is taking away jobs from americans. 65,000 are permitted per year. But this is only one-twentieth of 1 percent of the total U.S. workforce. So how the hell is this small percentage creating unemployment. Infact we H1B's are responsible for creating thousands of jobs. Don't forget many of these H1b open up new bussiness and create employment.
I am a H1B worker. I worked for my company for 7 years. I was recruited to start a new division for which they could not find anyone in USA. I created 62 jobs so far all americans working for me. I know guys who have done this and who went on to become leadders in thier industries. We can work anywhere in the world and if you restrict guys like us from working for your country then you can expect us to create those same oppurtunities somewhere else and you can kiss goodbye to your prosperity. The only reason USA is still a force is because of guys like us even though USA has the highest drop out rate among any developed country.
So stop whinning and let us do our jobs so we can keep USA competetive and advance it towards economic prosperity
04/04/2009
I would like to share my opinion related to certain quotes
Quote :"The cost to the U.S. working class has been high, many people who used to engineer computers, make cars, are now competing for burger-flipping jobs."
Sorry that you are suffering, but cost to americans is high not because of H1B, it is high because of your financial system collapse. Blame CEOs not H1Bs.
Labour migration has actually created millions of jobs for global economy.
Quote: "Chinese and Hindustanis are just working for less than a realistic wage at all levels in their society"
You are still measuring it in dollar denomination. What if I say most americans are asking for more than realistic wages at all levels of their society.
else why would healthcare and pension obligations would leads to collapse of General Motors and Chrysler. Your doctors, bankers, lawyers and insurers
want fat pay-cheques, so costs are pushed down to middle class americans those who don't earn that much and suffer.
This is the reason why world need new currency, already americans have consumed material wealth in excess of "$11 trillion" from rest of the world....Remember this is your debt.
Now instead of paying interest to counter-parties, you are printing money to reduce your own obligations. It is like "BREAKING A CONTRACT", very spine of capitalism.
It's "selfish-economy".
Allow Africans to buy some food and public transportation and medicare and latin american to have some good education.
Soon rest of the world be will be fed up with american generation having 75% high school dropout rate trying to cynically lead the world, forcefully and falsely claiming
that they are better qualified that Masters and PHds from China or India. This will result into reduced number of H1B workers and you will be "HAPPY".
Already there are fewer H1B filing than last year.
How can you forget rate of technological inovations had increased in India and China? OK they are far behind mighty USA. But it's not amount of innovations, it's rate that should bother you.
Quote: "Their governments are selling their own people down the river, and fat-cats at the top in India and China are living high while their own people are too busy working at slave wages to be able to do something intelligent (like revolt, protest...) about it."
Please remember fat cat "BANKERS", who have already done same in America. Now its high time for fat cat doctors and environmentalists after mass dollar printing.
International obligations related to trade, mutual growth, global security will lead everyone out of this. Respect H1B workers as they respect American workers.
Work with them and not against them. Problem is with your "Corporations", CEO's were too short sighted and profit oriented, they could have
generated jobs for both Americans and H1B workers, but their choice was million dollar bonuses for themselves. If you take all that money, you'll have jobs two times the size of american middle class.
Chinese, Brazilian and Indian companies are actully hiring in different parts of world. If you can travel you can find good jobs with them, but I guess it would hurt your inflated ego to work for puny third world companies.
In many case those third world companies have better social responsibility rating than american counterparts, "they are feeding poors". Think about global worker and global economy to prosper.
Also, doesn't it sounds like someone is trying to incite revolt amongst masses. Sounds like classic american policy making from Nixon/Bush era.
Iranians, Cubans, Venzualens, Chinese should revolt and throw out Ahmedinajad, Castro, Chavez and Communism.
Axis of evil..... didnt you guys learned lessons from Saddam's fall and how expensive it became for you. Middle class suffering that you see, looks like a part of downfall to me.
Guys remember, their governance model is choice of their public. What if other countries tell you to change your own american governance structure?
Grow up guys, revolutions happen on their own. Stop doing it for others, its selfish and you also know "expensive"..
Sorry, I had to jump in between you and third world.....btw, I am not on H1B
From Potomac, MD, 04/04/2009
Someone commented "51,856 tech jobs and all are available to Americans on dice job portal. Don't tell me, good jobs are not available to Americans? If you still whining and jobless, clearly you are not qualified enough.."
Many of the jobs on Dice are not really jobs. They are posted there by contracting companies who are trying to bid on contracts. The same "job" is posted many times over by different companies. Other "jobs" that are posted there are posted solely for the purpose of building resume banks. Many of these "jobs" have been on Dice for months. So, don't believe those numbers.
From San Francisco, CA, 04/04/2009
Hey, third-world, glad you can see the light on this one. I've been talking about this for years. Sadly, the world is not organized enough to actually do this, without a catastrophy first.
That catastrophy will be when inflation hits 1000000% (in India or China) or when the United States defaults on its debt obligation. It all depends on who is in the FED.
U.S. inflation has been quite mild for nearly the 28 years, because the United States has actively traded with countries where people will work for 2$ a day. Which is less than U.S. prison wages (and in prison you get 2-hots and a cot).
The cost to the U.S. working class has been high, many people who used to engineer computers, make cars, are now competing for burger-flipping jobs.
As a U.S. working person, I can tell you that once the dollar plummets, we won't be able to import workers and the cost to export jobs will rise. What will happen is that jobs in United States will be forced to grow (which is exactly what happened when the dollar plummeted relative the Japanese Yen). Doesn't any when remember when you could get 200+ Yen for a dollar. The Japanese are smart people, and China and India could a learn a lot from them on how to value their currency. That foreign medical orderly (or nurse) won't want to work in the United States anymore for 8$/hour.
The Chinese, Hindustanis (Indians), and other third world countries are being extremely dumb. But I don't symphathize with them, because all I hear from them is that U.S. citizens cannot compete with better-educated foreign workers. But the reality is, worker-per-worker, we are all equal in this area, and Chinese and Hindustanis are just working for less than a realistic wage at all levels in their society. And leaving their economies open to U.S.-dependency led crash.
Their governments are selling their own people down the river, and fat-cats at the top in India and China are living high while their own people are too busy working at slave wages to be able to do something intelligent (like revolt, protest...) about it.
04/04/2009
51,856 tech jobs and all are available to Americans on dice job portal. Don't tell me, good jobs are not available to Americans? If you still whining and jobless, clearly you are not qualified enough..
04/04/2009
Why are H1Bs brought to the U.S. to answer the telephones? Are there no Americans skilled enough in answering the telephones? Oh. Ok.
From Toronto, ON, 04/03/2009
Is Marketplace doing a story on how America is stealing the wealth of other countries to stimulate its own economy and futher fueling its citizens' gluttnous appetite for consumption on borrowed or stolen buck?
Sounds cranky? Its true. Here is how it works. You don't need a degree in economics to understand this.
USD is the world reserve currency and each country has a limited reserve of it. Among all countries only US has got the unique priilege of printing the currency at will. Keep in mind USD is no longer pegged against gold standard. It has been a fiat currency since the Nixon era. This gives UD Fed the facility to print money at will to fund their own deficits.
What this does to poor third world countries is that it reduces the purchasing power of their limited foreign currency reserves, making everything in those countries more expensive for no fault of their own. They just end up importing inflation from US and indirectly subsidizing the fat American consumer who continues to spend like a drunken sailor on the seemingly endless money supply from the Fed (which is nothing other than transfer of purchasing power of consumers in poor third world countries to American consumer).
This is perhaps the most sophisticated and well concealed international theft/transfer of wealth that is going on. The end result is that the reckless American consumer is being subsidized unfairly by already impoverished people from the third world.
No Lou Dobbs is going to talk about it. No American Public Radio is going to say anything about it so long as this sophisticated theft and plunder continues to benefit America and they have the gall to spread xenophobia about Indians and Chinese who come to this country the legal way make their living with hard earned money.
But the world is not fool. They are slowly coming to their senses. That is why China and Russia are talking about an alternate world currency. Wait when it happens. American will no longer be able to export its inflation to other countries and no foreign worker is gonna want to come to US or earn in USD. This time is not far away. It is just a matter of few years now. So your Lou Dobbs et al can shut up for now because once the world currency moves from USD to something else you are not going to be able to find enough applicants for H1B for a long time to come.
04/03/2009
The H1B visa program is the single-most harmful program the U.S. has waged against American workers in favor of "protectionism" of CEO bonuses. What an outrage that Americans are displaced by mediocre "help" from India using fake degrees and bribes to businessman to enable their human trafficking. I voted for Obama because he was to end the madness imposed by the H1B mafia. The program is no longer used to attract anyone close to "best" or "bright".
04/03/2009
Anyone that claims H1B is only 1% of the U.S. workforce is simply skewing the truth. They expect you to forget that as one shipment of 65K+20K arrive each year, all the previous H1Bs leave. It doesn't work that way and the H1B proponents know it. H1Bs are taking approximately 20-25% of the jobs once held by Americans. They are no longer after only the tech industry. They take ALL jobs that pay middle class wages. If the employer doesn't get as many, the employer simply contracts the labor to an H1B body shop so that the employer avoids paying healthcare and other benefits. Obama needs to be educated on the real deal about why mortgages can't get paid any longer. I'm saddened by his decision to turn on the people that voted him in office -- the former middle class!
From Milford, MA, 04/03/2009
I am not sure if issuance of H1B is a problem. The problem is how visa is issued. I know a lot of good people who can add value to the US do not get visa and a lot of people who get visa should just not get it in first place. Most of the visa is issued either to body shoppers or to Indian companies e.g. Wipro, Infy etc who just replace US workforce with cheap labor through outsourcing. They will have 10%-20% onsite and 80-90% offshore. So this acts as an outsourcing boon for them. Whereas in my opinion the visa should be issued to american companies who are not using visas to outsource work to India or any otehr country for that matter.
Further, we need to make the degree evaluation process stricter. I know a lot of people who have BS in Physics and then a diploma in CS ... that is not equvalent to B Tech (Engineering bachlor in India) in any way. We have better resources in the US than these BScs of India. Why to issue H1B to them?
04/03/2009
I do not understand the backlash against H-1B program. Yes, I agree a few companies have misused it. But remember
1. It is 0.1% of US workforce
2. H-1Bs pay all the taxes, INCLUDING SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE TAXES, WHICH THEY CAN NEVER BENEFIT FROM, AS THEY DON'T QUALIFY FOR IT. Hence, overpaying it for fellow Americans.
3. They are generally good citizens, and avoid criminal behavior unlike other unskilled migrant workers
4. They contribute to GDP here, also spend here by buying houses, cars etc.
5. If Coca-Cola, and other large US companies acquire/own foreign companies in the name of GLOBALIZATION, and compete against local rivals with their deep pockets, why not foreign workers compete against US workers in US? Isn't that double standards?
6. Most of the people are not aware of the fact that part of the H-1B hiring is labor certification, where the position is advertised in national and regional papers and if a suitable candidate found in US (citizen/permanent resident), by law he/she needs to be hired.
7. And if history suggests us something, didn't Europeans came to this country a few hundred years ago, and took over this country from the native people? By that token, most of the people here are immigrants themselves.
So, relax, rethink.
From Terra Linda, CA, 04/03/2009
Dear A A
Please do not kill yourself or hurt anyone else. We believe you still have a bright future either here in the U.S. or in India. Please seek help for your depression, Please seek help with any financial issues. We are all pulling for you and your wife to do well, and we believe that you can do well.
From New York, NY, 04/03/2009
I am on h4 visa for past 6 years; my wife is a NY certified teacher. Teaching on h1b visa for past 6 years. We pay Tax every year, and to get our visa papers, we spend $1000 of doller to stay on legal status, and we applied for our Green Card through employer bases, the First step for green card is Labor Certificate, we applied labor 3 years ago, we spend almost $4000 to get the labor paper done, but the DOL change their system and make things to do online called PERM, and DOL canceled my wife Labor saying not enough experience. Let me tell you my wife is one of the best Science Teacher from New Delhi, have experience 7 years in India, and 6 year in USA. Now we file again our labor on 2007 with new system called PERM, and we again spend $3000 for all the paper work, and then DOL put our labor on Audit, which mean that if DOL put your Labor on Audit then they can take as much time of your life to give you answer in yes or no. on 2009 May, our visa is expiring, we paid again layer $2200 to get our h1 visa 7th year extension, our PERM is file and in audit for more than 365 days then we are eligible to get h1b extension for 7th year, but after 1 month of filing h1b the IRS ask my wife are you certified teacher. first of fall they gave her h1 visa 2 times already, but now why they ask the certification, i do not understand, it is another harassment from USICS. so we send them my wife citification, and from then we are waiting for their reply.
I ask every one, tell me, i can not work in this country because of my h4 status. And for past 6 year, I am waiting. they already took my life 6 years, and i don't know whether they will approved on not, we invested all of our saving in this country to buy a home. where our visa expire within one month, audit god nose how long it will take, what should we do. Are we that bad people, that a my wife get sponsor by US school because she in one of the best. She teach her students, and her students love her, we going to treat in this country worst then illegal, that we will are living our life on their yes or no. we cannot even sleep in night just to keep thing when they will reply us. Are we going to just leave our home, car, all the goods and leave this country, we take care our credit, and it is excellent. cause we pay bill on time. but then who will going to take care of mortgage. what will happen to our lives saving. This country is made of immigrants, and we immigrants this days treated like Black people use to get treated in 19th century. On the name of we are taking American workers jobs. Then why the first place they higher my wife, Because there were US law, we leave our country jobs and come hear, now were the immigrants right gone now. My wife is teaching science to all the US students so that they get education, and after doing all we can, and play part of god citizen, our life are treated like garbage. My life is nothing can not work, can not have SSN, can not open account, and my life is on backlog, can take 10 or might be 20 years for get the green card. Tell me what we did wrong, should we wait for another one month and see what happen, and leave our home and go back to our country, Or just kill our self for all this harassment. How can country solve the problem on Illegal where there is broken Legal system. And people like Legal face all the problems. I would request you to not to have any kind of law which allow people to come in USA, and if you let people to come, then on the top of it you show them dream for the path of permanent residency, and then put there life on backlog, or rune there life. If we have not shown the path of green card, then we have not been brought the Home or car, and invest in this country, but if there is Law, then why this harassment with our life. Again I request all the Americans not to let legal people to come in your country, but we are hear for Americans, and we are working for Americans, and we are getting sponsor from Americans, and we are paying taxes and investing in Americans, then please don’t see us like, and if you don’t see us like that then, please I and 1000 of people like me love their life, and have ambitions to do some things, so give us some rights. Or Kill us please, cause now I don’t know what should I do.
From Columbus, OH, 04/02/2009
I don't have any problem with importing high-skill labor. I think we should import all we can get. The vast majority of Americans want middle-skill jobs and just a handfull of highly-skilled people can create the technology that will employ thousands of people in middle and upper-middle class jobs. Consider:
Two people started Google
One guy started Ford Motors
Two people started Apple
A half dozen people can design a blockbuster drug that creates 10,000 jobs and billions in economic activity.
Better these people do that stuff HERE than companies move overseas to get it done, I say.
04/02/2009
For past century Americans have enjoyed cheap oil from middle east & cheap good from China. Guys be fair, please consider ban on H1B after "individual bans" on oil from middle east and cheap good from China.
African, Asian and Mexican farmers lost their jobs and starved coz of free trades before so called US tech workers started losing their jobs to India.
Free trade has proven its worth and labour movement (H1B) is part of it. Banning H1B is not a good directive, but reducing frauds in H1B process is. This is infact WTO obligation of which USA is a core member.
Fundamentalist Saudi Arabia has better record of abiding with WTO charter than USA does. No matter what Iran says they keep supply of oil in world markets steady.
Remember actually it is your car that's sucking those oilwells dry when you drive daily for hours to mend your broken hearts, Whilst people in poor countries walk miles even to get fair share of water, all because of open market.
Just vote for candidates that supports your voice and definitely you can send all H1B workers back home anytime, but remember joblessness in those countries will spawn more Chavezes and Castros,
their governance models are still not that durable to stop anarchy resulting from mass joblessness.
If whole world is required to sacrifice its own interest in favour of american interest, dictators are not that bad, Cuba provides better healthcare and China provide better education to its masses than US.
Why are people in USA so interested in pushing capitalism & free trades around the world in first place? You are even against any standard world currency to replace US dollar.
Please stop exporting your ideologies & mocking their governance models, socialism or communism, if you cannot keep your own pledges.
Guys, americans are good managers, stop this selfish act, open up and show your skills in Africa, Latin America & places that need you. Travel outside of US and work for better world, you'll have a job and you'll become prosperous again, else it is worthless talking to you.
You decide.............
btw.. I am not on H1B....
From Toronto, ON, 04/02/2009
Is it the American free market chicken coming home to roost or what? For over a century free market has been America's magic mantra, nay, even a war cry, to force American companies companies/products (last time I checked Monsanto was an Americna brand) down the throats of poor thrid world companies killing local economies, traditional skills and even political independence in the name of globalization.
Guess what? Globalization cuts both ways.
In a classic lasiez faire free-wheeling economic system which American Economics prophets like Friedman et al have arrogantly advocated to the third world for over decades the economic value will naturally gravitate toward the lowest cost production base. Are you surprised now that jobs are flying to Mexico, India , China, etc?
Is it the begining of the payback time or the god of freemarket delivering some poetic justice to Americans finally in some way?
On a serious note, H1 B only comprise 1/12 of 1% of American work force. Is that really any significant threat to American jobs? I can understand that recession has made some people desperate in their arguments but this is not even a drop in the bucket.
Maybe its time to man up and eat your own pie for a change. Even as I write this American treasury is busy printing $$ bills to export inflation to the third world....Chinese have already proposed an alternative world currency....you wait when this chicken comes back haunt America....it will be Grapes of Wrath all over again!
04/02/2009
H1Bs are "one-twentieth of 1 percent of the total U.S. workforce".
Stop bitching...people..
From Dallas, TX, 04/02/2009
The resumes of these so called Indian Experts are highly exaggerated. They do not have the technical expertise they claim they have and never worked for the employer they claim they have worked for. Apparently there are several resume mills (working as placement agencies) around the country that train their clients for a fee on subjects in computer science for 3 to 6 months and create fraudulent resumes showing 5 to 10 years of experience in particular field. You can find their ads in Indian Grocery stores and on their networking websites typically calling them schools to teach C++, Oracle or SAP.
These placement agencies work closely with lawyers and department of labor. They then place these candidates in key industries on contract work. For example a major employer (say Wells Fargo) would have short term contract work; paying $120 per hour to Service Contractor (say IBM). The service contractor outsources the job to another placement agency for $80 per hour; that in turn outsources the job to another placement agency getting $40 per hour that finally out sources the work to contract worker for $20 to $15 per hour. This activity is at low level replacing the American worker with cheap H1-B labor.
At major level where jobs are shipped overseas the scheme is even more complicated. Typically a major company would spend 4 years into secretive planning before closing a division in the US and moving the jobs to India or another country. Managers with Indian background are hired to learn all the skills from their American counter parts before the division is closed. Please understand it not that there are no highly qualified Indian Experts; there are; but they are 1 in 100. You can find the same expertise in American workers; born locally or foreign.
Our government (law makers), lawyers, employers and their lobbyist are all involved in this gravy train.
04/02/2009
And this is what Americans get for their 'Public Radio', raw anti-American lies in a depression.
Corporatations dont subsidize a public message, the public subsidizes a CORPORATE message on public radio - could this piece possibly make that more clear?!?!?
Stop giving to public radio, and write your rep to end the subsidy to corporate propaganda, that is public radio!!!
(I have nothing to say about H-1b, I think everyone here saw right through the lies)
From San Francisco, CA, 04/02/2009
Hey Sandy, when you say "and there is always talent in some other place that can do the same job that u do much better at a lower price." You are being a bigot, because there is no evidence that people in other countries do the job better, frankly they are just people like us.
And as for who is more obscene, well your last comments mean I can rest my case. Pretty low commentary on your part, Sandy.
Sandy, generally capitalism is like the freeway, everbody rushes around until there is traffic jam, then everyone screams for the government to fix it. Then they scream again at the taxes needed to pay for the fix.
As for immigration limiting policy, well every country has one. The United States is, by far, the most open in that area. I've been there (several other countries on business), most countries will not let you in for an extended stay because they want to protect the jobs of locals, this is true for India, Japan, Europe...
It's not racist, xenophobic, or unusual in any way to have an immigration policy that limits the rate of immigration at all economic levels.
Sandy, the United States Government and its people are 10 trillion dollars in debt (and growing because million of jobs have been lost in the last year.) The fact that the United States wants to maximize the job retention, and limit the offshoring of jobs should come as no surprize, we should welcome this as a promising sign.
What's happening in the world is that there are way too many employees chasing way too few jobs. Countries such as India and China have endemic poverty, and a population that will indenture themselves to any Corporation for the sake of being able to eat.
Any system that allows that kind of mentality to persist cannot stand. The U.S. cannot take huge job losses, what's going to happen is either the United States get serious about preserving fair and equal opportunity for U.S. citizen for jobs on U.S. soil or the U.S. will default on its debt obligations and cause a depression the like of which the world hasn't seen since the Dark Ages.
People in the United States cannot compete-and-eat with people in countries that will indenture themselves for 2$/day. This reality amounts to de-facto human slavery, any country doesn't try to counter that is quite low.
From Richfield, MN, 04/01/2009
Hi,
I don't think this recession will affect good companies bringing people to USA. I work for Accenture and I am brought here on L1 visa. I am doing programming even if documents show I am Manager. I think my company knows what how to work around laws as both my bosses Ashish Vimal and Indranil Chowdhury are Indians.
-Prateek Shrivastav
Accenture/Bestbuy
From chicago, IL, 04/01/2009
Guys, You can blabber as much as u want. But corporate wisdom suggests that companies will go where they can get the best work done in the least available price. What do you think protectionist behavious will serve. ITs only going to make outsourcing more the route of choice for all companies. Dont just blame infosys, satyam or wipro. If u have to take names take names of the great american behemoths like IBM, accenture, HP. Wht do u think they are doing. If they find america more pricy that too in these times, they will just off shore their jobs. As pointed out earlier dont just resist just for the sake of resisting with garbage arguments. The fundamental reason why work gets outsources including research work is cost,and there is always talent in some other place that can do the same job that u do much better at a lower price. If u want to debate, debate issues like whyUS has such high drop out rates. Why the universities here that are considered best in the world depend on international students for their growth: 2 reasons not many americans available to study math science. College is too costly. Help our President becoz if he addresses the fundamental education system issue all this will go away. But the argument against H1-B is totally flawed and protectionist. And one more thing 'PShah', You know wht I think of you..."Every H1b brings spouse with them, who either does baby sitting or some under table payment work. Produces one or two US citizen kids or brings with them a set of two. Supports other family memebrs for H1b or some visa may be student visa.". I think you are a fuckin racist pig who does not understand the value of human life. I will say no further.
From Indianapolis, IN, 04/01/2009
DEMAND A MORATORIUM ON ALL WORKER VISAS?
Sen. Harry Reid has become recognized with utter distaste and arrogance, because of his attitude to the American Worker. Americans have no trust in Senator Harry Reid, or his co-conspirator that includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, or Dianne Feinstein. The inception of the first "Sanctuary Policy" was Feinstein's and now California is overloaded with illegal aliens. They are all catering to the open border--Special Interest lobby. That's why they killed E-Verify? A very efficient tool to remove Illegal aliens from the workplace. However E-Verify is still funded till September, and Reid, Pelosi better hope it is revitalized or--THEIR--jobs are on the chopping block. Other than E-verify to track down 40 million illegal aliens, use the Census taking to report them to ICE?
If these lawmakers were interested in assisting the American worker, why would Homeland security chief suppress ICE raids? These political signatories who cut funding for the border fence, lied about its actual construction and it's physical length as well. Read their awful immigration grades at NUMBERSUSA. Call Washington to stop this travesty; 202-224-3121 We must also ask the question? Is the illegal immigration situation causing nationwide taxes to escalate? Federal law demands we pay for their health care, education and selective benefits.
With a new AMNESTY in the pipeline. Should it pass? That means more money out of your taxes. To pay for millions more, who are sure to come? This includes the whole family circle they can sponsor? Old, young, sick, mentally handicapped will get SSI, benefits--without ever paying into Social Security. KICK THEM OUT!
From San Jose, CA, 04/01/2009
P Shah mentioned "Each sibling can bring their spouses and children. List just goes on and on. Stop the H1b. Majority of them are not even highly skilled, they would work for you without expectation of insurance or some benefits. Will do whatever you ask them do until they get their green-card."
I wonder how you or your family members got into the country...It should be either through a family member being here who would have come in as a student or through H1-B. I'm not saying H1-B visa or good or bad but just cause someone is past that stage you should not be condescending towards others. Most of the brightest people in this country were at some stage in the country cause of H1-B. Just my 2 cents...
From Arlington, VA, 04/01/2009
I wonder how much Professor Kennedy is incented to import more students from India, who will eventually displace additional American citizens from their careers. It is clear that he is receiving something of value to be deceitful to American taxpayers.
It is a often repeated fraudulent claim that foreign nationals pay their tuition and fees. In reality, after a term or two, most foreign graduate students are placed on a training grant paid for by U.S. taxpayers. See David North, "Who Pays? Foreign Students Do Not Help with the Balance of Payments." June, 2008. http://www.cis.org/articles/2008/back608.pdf
The H-1B Visa program is focused on "fresh (inexpensive, imported, and indentured) young blood" for employers, which include colleges and universities.
The program worsens historically unprecedented talent gluts. However, this is desired by the economic elite who procured this program, as workforce gluts drive down wages. Nobel Economist and free-market advocate Milton Friedman described the H-1B Visa program a "government subsidy." (ComputerWorld 22 July 2002)
More information is available via three aarticles that I have written:
Whose University is it Anyway?
8 February 2008 University of Buffalo Spectrum (I earned my Ph.D. there in 1984)
http://spectrum.buffalo.edu/article.php?id=35243
The Greedy Gates Immigration Gambit
Fall 2007 (Published in January 2008)
http://www.thesocialcontract.com/pdf/eighteen-one/tsc_18_1_nelson.pdf
(Microsoft employed "The best and brightest" lobbyist, Jack Abramoff in 1994 to help procure three employer-friendly changes to H-1B Visa legislation in 1996, 1998, and 2000. Lobbyist (and felon) Jack Abramoff worked with Team Abramoff to help Microsoft direct the flow of about $100 million in political expenditures between 1995-2000.)
Career Destruction Sites - What American colleges have become
Spring 2005
http://www.thesocialcontract.com/pdf/fifteen-three/xv-3-207.pdf
Missing table regarding H-1B visa usage by NIH Grantees:
http://www.jobdestruction.com/ShameH1B/Library/BrainSavers/H-1BVisaUsage_NIH_2003.pdf
From Clairton, PA, 04/01/2009
You would be surprised that how many number of each H1b replaces. Every H1b brings spouse with them, who either does baby sitting or some under table payment work. Produces one or two US citizen kids or brings with them a set of two. Supports other family memebrs for H1b or some visa may be student visa. Once they have green-card and or citizenship, files for their siblings.
Each sibling can bring their spouses and children. List just goes on and on. Stop the H1b. Majority of them are not even highly skilled, they would work for you without expectation of insurance or some benefits. Will do whatever you ask them do until they get their green-card.
From North Hills, CA, 04/01/2009
Mr. Kennedy says the H-1B is a “fairly complicated procedure.” Looks simple to me but check for yourself. The form used is ETA-9035 which is at http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/pdf/eta9035v50.pdf
From RB, CA, 04/01/2009
The National Science Foundation reports that 51% of 113,000 new H-1B visas awarded to Computer-Related occupations in 2006.
The USCIS recently found a 31% violation/fraud rate in H-1Bs with Bachelor's degrees as the highest level of education.[8] Bachelor's degreed H-1B recipients are higly concentrated in Computer-related occupations. The NSF reports that roughly 47,300 of all new H-1Bs in 2006 did not have advanced degrees, in Computer-related occupations, 35,904 did not have advanced degrees (postgrad). 75.9% of all H-1Bs with less than a postgraduate degree were granted to Computer-related occupations in 2006.[9]
Additionally this violatio/fraud rate is likely to exist in the Eb-3 PERM green card system, which has a backlog of 500,000 immigrants.
Finally, the BlS-OES reports employment growth of 326,600 in Computer-related occupations from 2000-2006. However, During a shorter period, 2001-2006, reflecting the six year H-1B duration, 328,968 H-1B visas were granted to "initial employment approvals" for Computer related occupations.[1][4] Computer-related occupations, H-1B initial employment approvals, also exceeded employment growth.
from 2001-2006
The National Science Foundation reports that 310,749 B.S. Computer Science degrees were granted to Americans from 2000 - 2006, with an additional 26,533 BS-CS awarded to temporary residents. Narrowing the scope to the 2000-02 recession, [2] the BLS-OES occupational statistics show an employment decline of 134,960 in Computer-related occupations, during 2001 (110,712) and 2002 (25,637) H-1B awards were added to the occupational group. Employment for H-1B is reserved as a condition of entry, therefore, the decline in the occupation and new H-1B are additive, bringing the job losses to 271,309.
The data cleary shows that Computer-related occupations has been oversubscribed by the H-1B program alone, while over half a million L-1 visas were also added to the high skill occupations.
Call Secretary of Labor Solis and request that she decertify Computer-related occupations from the DOJ "Specialty Occupations" for all immigration.
(Telephone: 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365))
http://immigration-weaver.blogspot.com/2009/03/petition-to-remove-computer-related.html
From San Bruno, CA, 04/01/2009
The H-1b visa is proclaimed as the "Outsourcing Visa" by the official in the Indian National Government.
No other country would allow a Visa program that allows companies to easily remove millions of jobs from their own soil, except the United State apparently.
Companies such as Satyam, Tata, Infosys, and numerous head-hunting firms are not even trying to hire U.S. citizens into jobs on United States soil, yet these companies are the biggest users of H-1b visas.
How can any administration support a program that allows such open and flagrant discrimination, based upon nationality? U.S. citizens are not even given a chance to compete for job on their own soil.
These foreign companies need the H-1b visa to facilitate the removal of millions of U.S. jobs, at all levels.
The United States government has found that more than 1-in-5 H-1b visa application are fraudulent.
The United States government has found numerous companies are deliberately not paying their H-1b workers, and where the H-1b workers were told to shut-up or be sent back home.
The United States government has found numerous instances where U.S. citizens were barred from applying for jobs on United States soil, because the jobs were for H-1bs only, U.S. citizens cannot apply.
The United States government is finding many H-1b engineers being paid a mid-west prevailing wage of 40-60k, while working in a west-coast job, where the prevailing wage should be 80-100k.
The United States government has found H-1b workers, working in laundromats, car washes, and pumping gas, while the company that brought them in actually tries to find them a hi-tech job.
Most h-1b visa applicants are fresh out of college and start at the lowest levels in their profession, hardly the "best and brightest" (which is pure industry propaganda). Thus robbing many U.S. citizens from a good start in their profession.
This h-1b program is falsely touted as necessary by companies that need cheap indentured labor so they can remove tens of millions of U.S. jobs to Indian and China.
From White Plains, NY, 04/01/2009
H-1Bs have been used as scapegoats by such illustrious leaders as Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the Socialist Xenophobe, and Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, whose sanity is now in question based upon his suggestion that AIG employees commit suicide. What they leave out of the discussion is that the H-1B visa was created by the Immigration Act of 1990 as an outgrowth of the old H-1 visa category, to provide visas for specialty occupations, which Immigration regulations describe at “8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(ii) as “an occupation which requires theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge in fields of human endeavor including, but not limited to, architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, education, business specialties, accounting, law, theology, and the arts, and which requires the attainment of a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific specialty, or its equivalent, as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States.” While the H-1B has in the past been dubbed a “technology” visa by its critics, it is utilized for all professional categories.
The H-1B cap of 65,000 per fiscal year is an artificial number inserted into the legislation based upon a 1988 Booz Allen report, prior to the technology boom of the 1990s, and is thus outdated in terms of the current economic situation and industry needs. As Professor Kennedy notes, a larger percentage of beneficiaries in the H-1B category are graduates of U.S. schools. In the 1990s, the former INS attempted by administrative fiat to restrict the processing of H-1B petitions for Information Technology workers – the result was a greater amount of off-shore work, no additional jobs in the U.S., and no revenue from taxes paid by these workers. The "keep 'em out" crowd as personified by Lou Dobbs and his ilk either complain that "cheap foreign labor" is coming into the U.S. to take jobs from U.S. workers, or that companies are exporting "U.S. jobs" overseas where they are being performed by...well, "cheap foreign labor". The notion that H-1Bs represent “underpaid foreign workers” taking these jobs is also fallacy, based upon the law’s mandate of payment of at least the prevailing wage for the occupation.
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