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Desperately Seeking Visas

Submitted by Just Do It!, Jan 4, 2008 10:10

Kathy Robertson wrote: "When there are millions of Americans out of work"

The unemployment rate in IT sector is a whopping 1.8%, compared to 4.7 percent nationally.

This is virtually full employment. Some unemployed are between jobs - the "frictional" unemployment that is difficult to reduce. Some are in wrong geographic area or have the wrong set of skills for the jobs the H-1B holders are filling. Some are seeking employment in another occupation, but counted as unemployed since it was their last job.

-- page 11 of Driving jobs and Innovation Offshore The impact of high-skill Immigration Restrictions on America, National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) Policy Brief, Dec 2007
http://www.nfap.com/pdf/071206study.pdf

-- The Great Tech Worker Divide, By Moira Herbst | Business Week, October 10, 2007
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/oct2007/db2007109_932262.htm?chan=search

(1) The Organization for the Rights of American Workers, or TORAW, was formed by displaced information-technology workers about five years ago, as businesses stepped up the use of contractors in India and other countries for jobs such as computer programming. TORAW's goal was to reform two visa programs–the H-1B and the L-1–that businesses use to hire foreign nationals. Hiring tech workers through these programs was a key to making these early offshore-outsourcing deals work.

(2) Nonetheless, Bauman told Computerworld that he is folding TORAW due to a lack of money and interest. He says the groups membership has shrunk from the throngs we witnessed nearly five years ago to just a handful of members today.

-- Giving Up the Outsourcing Fight By Ben Worthen | WSJ Blog, Dec 21 2007
http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2007/12/21/giving-up-the-outsourcing-fight/#comment-7527

Kathy Robertson wrote: "They're refusing to hire the Americans."

(1) If one follows web postings and the words of their allies, including some Members of Congress, the argument appears to be that every American in science and engineering would be employed at the company and salary of their choice if not for the relatively small number of H-1B visa holders (0.07 percent of the U.S. labor force) who annually enter the United States or stay to work after graduating from a U.S. university.

(2) The supply of H-1B visas has been exhausted before the start of each of the past four fiscal years. Thus, for 12 months at a time during each of the past four fiscal years, new H-1Bs could not even enter the U.S. labor market.

This means employers would have to wait more than a year just to hire an H-1B professional, something few would choose to do if they instead found a qualified U.S. professional available.

New H-1B professionals account for .07% of U.S. labor force each year. Thus, new H-1B professionals account for .7% of U.S. labor force, in 10 years.

(3) Companies will hire the best people for the jobs and place them outside the United States if U.S. law prohibits the individuals from being hired inside America. Smaller companies without an offshore option will continue to go without key personnel needed to grow. Congress cannot compel U.S. companies to offer positions to unqualified applicants.

(4) (a) As the war for talent has escalated, employers are doing more to retain current workers.

(b) For some candidates, job hunting while working may have an unexpected benefit. If you're a valued staffer, your manager may try to find out if you're unhappy or sweeten the pot to keep you from leaving.

-- The Trick to Finding A New Job Without Losing the Old One By PERRI CAPELL | WSJ, Dec 26, 2007
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119863314359150089.html

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
GuildY/ ZazonY wrote: "Alan Greenspan, March 2007 "If we open up a significant window for skilled workers, that would suppress the... [MORE]	suppress TOP EARNER wages	Jan 30, 2008 12:57
Asking the Department of Labor to regulate the number of visas and green cards to issue is like asking a... [MORE]	No visa for you	Jan 15, 2008 02:30
GuildY/ ZazonY wrote: "Alan Greenspan, March 2007 "If we open up a significant window for skilled workers, that would suppress the... [MORE]	Little empirical evidence!	Jan 8, 2008 17:57
Kathy Robertson: "When there are millions of Americans out of work due to outsourcing, why do we need to bring... [MORE]	Data	Jan 7, 2008 12:17
S. Kolger wrote: "every other type of white-collar jobs stop getting offshored to India" (1) New H-1Bs account for .07% of... [MORE]	Data	Jan 7, 2008 12:13
The people who are finding rising wages and full employment in the IT sector are definitely moving in different social... [MORE]	S. Kolger	Jan 5, 2008 09:46
Kim Berry (President, Programmers Guild) wrote: " ..." IEEE USA is IEEE's policy wing, supported mainly by annual assessment paid by... [MORE]	IEEE USA's Proposal	Jan 4, 2008 12:10
GuildY/ ZazonY wrote: "Alan Greenspan, March 2007 "If we open up a significant window for skilled workers, that would suppress the... [MORE]	Really!	Jan 4, 2008 12:04
H1-B petitions approved vs H1-B workers ------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) From How many H-1B visa workers? Counts vary VALLEY EMPLOYERS AMONG TOP USERS By... [MORE]	Never Mind!	Jan 4, 2008 10:24
Kathy Robertson wrote: "When there are millions of Americans out of work" The unemployment rate in IT sector is a whopping...	Just Do It!	Jan 4, 2008 10:10
It is well known within the tech industry that the primary reason that companies are so much in love with... [MORE]	Clearing Smoke Bombs	Jan 3, 2008 20:36
Kathy Robertson: "Companies are LYING about a shortage because they want to bring in cheap labor" Repeat something loud and long... [MORE]	Rhetorical Rhapsody	Jan 3, 2008 18:27
Kathy Robertson: "Companies are LYING about a shortage because they want to bring in cheap labor" A Dec 2005 Center for... [MORE]	Dis Information	Jan 3, 2008 18:23
S. Kolger wrote: "when American workers are no longer required to train their H-1B replacements" (1) From The Grassley Visa Tax... [MORE]	Train H-1B Replacement?	Jan 3, 2008 10:19
Bruce de la Vega wrote: "B. Lindsay Lowell and Harold Salzman at the Urban Institute that the USA is over-flowing... [MORE]	Caveat	Jan 3, 2008 10:06
Your article is well spiced because you hit the hammer on the nail.thanks [MORE]	moradeyo afeez	Jan 3, 2008 03:22
Background: U.S. STEM Workforce Shows No Sign of Impending Shortages http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB1505/index1.html "The pool of S&E-qualified secondary and postsecondary graduates is several times... [MORE]	Dana Rothrock	Jan 2, 2008 19:01
As "former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor", Ms. Furchtgott-Roth certainly knows that DOL is knowingly rubber-stamping labor... [MORE]	Kim Berry	Jan 2, 2008 16:21
"Allowing the Labor Department to adjust legal immigration every quarter to match U.S. need for foreign labor would help America... [MORE]	Bruce de la Vega	Jan 2, 2008 13:40
"labor certification from the Labor Department... requires the prospective employer to affirm that he has determined that no American workers... [MORE]	Bruce de la Vega	Jan 2, 2008 13:29
It boils down to this: WE CANNOT TRUST THE GOVERNMENT TO ENFORCE THE LAW OR TO EXERCISE DISCRETION IN A... [MORE]	TheReallyRightGuy	Jan 2, 2008 12:52
I hate the arcane nature of bureacracy and public policy. However, because we need to protect our sovereignty and regulate... [MORE]	Ken	Jan 2, 2008 16:38
There is a principle of economics that, in a free market (which we do NOT have) there can be neither... [MORE]	Bruce de la Vega	Jan 2, 2008 18:05
This is fine as far as you have gone. However... Let's give the Department of Labor more lattitude. Perhaps they could... [MORE]	Rev. Stephen M. King	Jan 2, 2008 12:28
When there are millions of Americans out of work due to outsourcing, why do we need to bring in temporary... [MORE]	Kathy Robertson	Jan 2, 2008 09:16
If you listen to the CEO/CFO/HR people at the large companies looking to import workers a half way intelligent person... [MORE]	Gene	Jan 2, 2008 13:41
Instead of a well thought-out analysis of the issues, we get a rehash of all of the old arguments Big... [MORE]	S. Kolger	Jan 2, 2008 08:39
The writer of this article does not seem to be much of a believer in Democracy. She wants to take... [MORE]	Voter	Jan 2, 2008 07:22