Should the U.S. increase its H-1B visa program? Wages belie claims of a labor shortage

SF Chornicle ^ | 12/7/2006 | Norman Matloff

[Old_Mil]

Once again, the tech industry is putting heavy pressure on Congress to expand the H-1B visa program...

...The industry claims that it needs to import workers to remedy a severe labor shortage. Yet this flies in the face of the economic data...

[Ron2]

All this tells me is that industry should increase its pressure on our education facilities to start producing a product that meets this countrys future requirements. Wouldn't it be amazing if High School students, when they graduated, knew how to read,knew how to fill out a job application and could add 2+2 and explain why it equals 4. We have 300 million people here in the States and we can't find people educated enough to fill jobs? Stop bringing a lot of these immigrants in and industry will change.

[sketchboy]

Total BS -- it is about hiring CHEAPER labor. That is ALL that it is about. And the last thing the USA needs to do is allow more immigration....a totally unmanaged and criminal activity in this country.

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Its easy to paint this issue with such a broad brush, and sure there are plenty of companies out there looking for cheap labor. The field I work in, software development, is very competitive and it is difficult to find qualified personnel. As a a manager I've sifted through literally hundreds of resumes', and so often the best candidate will be a non-citizen with H1B "issues". From a company perspective it is much easier to hire a citizen, dealing with visas is a hassle, however we have to remain competitive in a challenging market.

Americans, I believe, are still the hardest working, best educated employees in the world. While our public schools suckass, our colleges and universities are still the best this despite the twisted liberal views of so many professors.

[Taylor42]

What difference does it make if a job is outsourced or done by a H1B locally?

All companies using a majority of foreign workers should be treated as a foreign company wanting to do business in the US. And taxed at higher rates reserved just for that catagory.

[gubamyster]

ping

[Old_Mil]

Look at it this way. If more H1B's aren't brought in to work here, then projects here will get cancelled and outsourcing will accelerate. Also, if there really aren't enough people to do the work, then those Americans doing the work here are threatened because a company may not be able to construct a sufficient team to to the projects on this side of the Pacific.

The number of people who aspire to be professional singers or athletes is far greater than the number of people who aspire to be professional scientists or engineers. Why do you think that is? Do you think that the same number of people who currently aspire to play in the NFL would do so if the league minimum salary was $50,000 instead of $500,000?

Money is a powerful motivator to influence people to enter a particular line of work. While it's a given that in a market economy, CEOs would have to forgo 600 million dollar paydays if they actually had to start raising wages to attract talent it is difficult to make the argument that businesses who support foreign dumping in the labor markets are capitalists - or acting in the best interests of America.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Labor supply and demand

In this age of labor arbitrage there are weak, if any, forces of supply and demand. IMO.

The old economics do not work. There is only a glut of labor.

[Petruchio]

I lost my last two jobs to China ands India

Back in the '70s I was in Electronics manufacturing. The jobs dried up and went to Mexico. I retrained into Computer Maint. and was replaced by H-1Bs. I retrained again and went into the Printing Industry. I was replaced by Illegals . . .

Now I am retired. I sure hope they don't replace me again . . .

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Supply and demand

Companies worry not about supply. There is a worldwide glut of labor.. er, that is, a glut of labor for mundane, day-to-day corporate jobs.

There's another category of jobs that corporations are happy to fill with Americans -- Americans and those aspiring to become Americans, no foreign citizens loyal to their home countries (H1B, ILLEGAL aliens, etc.) need apply.

Yes sir! In fact corporations prefer that Americans get these jobs. Americans have reason to do the best job -- that protects and benefits corporations.

These jobs are called fighting men and women in the uniform of the armed services of the United States of America.

Well, at least it's a start.

[doc30]

What difference does it make if a job is outsourced or done by a H1B locally?

H1b locally = Americans working with the H1B in a variety of capacities

Outsourced = no need for ANY American workers

Your tax proposal would not work since most 'American' comapnies are multinational and all have more employees outside the U.S. than inside the U.S.