3 yeas ago I was a 20 year professional computer consultant at $45/hr. My job disappeared and so has my income and any taxes paid.
You'll find many in this forum who will say that I need to suck it in and take a McDonalds job, but that doesn't pay my bills nor pay the taxes on the same level as I have for 20 years.
They'll never convince me that this offshoring/h1b/illegal vicious cycle is all hot air and non-existent.
I'm looking to dump the American computer market as quickly as it dumped me.
the first place I will look for new employment when I lose my tech job is government - let the free traders pay my way.
That's a wise move - because it's only going to get worse. Lots of other people are exiting the computer industry - including students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The faculty of many colleges and universities is now heavily weighted with H1B visa holders.
So...what happens to a nation that has no manufacturing infrastructure, has given up its technological edge, and is heavily in debt - in fact, edging up to the nine trillion dollar mark?
Does the term slavery come to mind? That's where we're headed, with wages to match. And it isn't just in the computer fields...it's everywhere.
How do we tell the next generation that we squandered their prosperity - and, perhaps, even their freedom - for cheap trinkets? How do we look in the mirror and admit it even to ourselves? Because that's exactly what we're doing.
I won't tell you to look for a Mc-Job.
I WILL tell you that several factors, including the ones you mentioned, play a role in the current IT market.
First and foremost - the boon of the 90's IT market is gone - the Y2K projects, Euro Conversion, etc... will not return. Also, during that time, many major companies (and quite a few small to mid sited ones!) were willing to pay MAJOR money for IT workers. Demand was sky high and supply was limited.
Now that all of that is over, demand has returned to "normal" levels and supply is too high - even when h1b's etc are excluded!
I too suffer under this, albiet in Switzerland. My only recourse was to launch my own company. I am struggling, but I'm still hanging in. My Standard of Living has, of course, taken a beating.
I'm currently in IT, and concerned about my future. May I ask what sort of job you're working now?
The first thing you need to do is eliminate the word unemployed in describing your situation and start referring to yourself as a Consultant while you follow the current FR advice du jour and become self employed ;-)