"I tried HARD to find US people - H1B's were a serious pain in the neck. I called thousands (no exaggeration) of people to fill hundreds of high level positions and time and time again I would hear "$45 per hr for someone with my credentials? I wouldn't flip a burger for that. "
Okay...having worked in aerospace and defense for years I'd say you are leaving out something. $90K for a senior level engineer (employee)is a fairly decent rate.
However, if your talking about California, and youre talking to a man who owns a $180K house, to move to an equivalent house costs what....$300K, $400K, you tell me.
I know because I contemplated the same move years ago.
Then theres the issue of security clearances. There are plenty of engineering positions available out there...BUT... they require a CURRENT security clearance. The waitng list for clearnaces is over a year now.
I dont suppose those jobs you speak of were in that category.
I worked for a staffing company - which, by the way - gave excellent benefits - however, they were contract positions.
A lot of US people DID take the jobs - the vast majority left wives and kids at home for very extended periods (up to years) and lived in small apt.s with other transplants. A large number chose NOT to take the jobs, and in those cases, when we were pressed , we went with H1B's. You all are making me feel like a traitor for doing it, and I don't think that's fair.
If a rule is in place, and your competitors are using the same rules to compete in the same market (a global market, how creepy is that?) how can you condemn a company, or a recruiter, for doing what they can to survive economically?
The trade rules need to be changed. The policies that encourage outsourcing need to be changed. The laws that allow OSHA to go in and fine Boeing $20,000 (or was it $200,000?) for having a bottle of Windex out of it's designated spot - things have to change or there will be no domestic employers left here.