Drive to recruit from world's work force is strong

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) : One Thread

This article is interesting in that high tech companies (like Intel) are telling the American graduates that were recruited this year that their employment offers are recinded because of the economy. Not to mention the thousands of experienced American high tech workers that have been laid off in recent years.

I guess slave labor is still in style for the high tech industry. In other words, it's business as usual with our government's blessing. The high tech lobbyists just keep those campaign contributions coming in.

For educational purposes only

Drive to recruit from world's work force is strong By Vandana Sinha The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.), May 7, 2001

The technology industry has slowed from its earlier breakneck speeds, but tech leaders say the need for foreign workers has not.

Instead, the drive to recruit from the world's work force seems even stronger as companies hunt for the best and brightest just to stay alive.

``We're not producing enough people with science and technology degrees in this country to keep up with the demand,'' said Michael A. Daniels, senior vice president for SAIC, a 42,000-employee science technology firm based in McLean.

As a result, the federal program to bring foreign professionals to the country for temporary jobs, the H-1B visa program, is busier than ever.

By March, companies had applied for more of the visas than at this time last year, as they tried to fill top-level vacancies that executives say still exist by the thousands.

``We're still looking for workers for our company,'' said Daniels, also chairman of the Virginia Work Force Council, an advisory group to the governor.

``We're losing revenues and profits ever hour that clock ticks until you fill those jobs.''

An estimated 450,000 workers carried H-1B visas in their wallets as of last October, according to a Georgetown University study.

And that's when Congress raised the cap on H-1B visas, which allow immigrants with at least a bachelor's degree to work in U.S. specialty jobs for up to six years. The cap shot from 115,000 to 195,000 visas for each of the next three years.

Between then and mid-March, the federal government approved 72,000 H-1B visas, still far from the 195,000 limit. However, 66,000 more applications are pending.

By this time last year, when the cap was at 115,000 visas, 74,000 had been approved, and only 45,000 were on the table.

Opponents say a higher ceiling opens the door to importing cheap foreign labor, while older American workers and younger American graduates pay the price in lost jobs.

``If they can, they get U.S. citizenship and continue to compete for American jobs,'' said James G. McDonald, a civil engineering attorney and spokesman for the Virginia Coalition for Immigration Reform, formerly Virginians for Immigration Control.

``New people coming in the country depress wages.''

He said the new legislation mandates that foreign workers be paid the prevailing wage, but doesn't provide oversight to make sure the actual figures match the paperwork.

``All the fraud we know that's going on is hardly discussed,'' he said. ``It discourages Americans from going to schools to train for engineering.''

Companies must navigate a complex process to hire H-1B applicants, so it's no easy way out, according to immigration attorneys.

An employer pays a base fee of $1,110, plus legal and travel costs, to bring one H-1B holder aboard from abroad.

The entire approval process, through the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service and U.S. Department of Labor, takes about 70 days, and often drags for months.

``People would not go through the expense and hassle of getting an H-1B visa if they could find Americans to do the job,'' said Valerie J. Brodsky, an immigration lawyer specializing in H-1B visas with Vandeventer Black LLP in Norfolk. ``Most companies do one or two.''

Brodsky, who will speak on the issue at a Hampton Roads Technology Council breakfast this year, said she handles an average of 150 requests a year. The slower economy hasn't made her phone ring any less.

It has, however, left some H-1B workers laid off alongside their American counterparts. The INS is drafting a standard policy that's ``as generous as possible'' for determining whether they can stay, said spokeswoman Eyleen M. Schmidt.

On the other hand, tech and labor officials claim, demand isn't going anywhere.

In a U.S. work force of almost 125 million people, the 450,000 H-1B workers represent 0.4 percent. It means four out of 1,000 employees in the country use an H-1B visa. If companies hire an additional 195,000 applicants this year, reaching the cap, that adds another 2 people per 1,000 workers to the American job force.

About 60 percent of them head into the computer industry. The rest are spread over several sectors, including health care, law, architecture, and primary and higher education.

Meanwhile, the number of systems analysts, computer support specialists, database administrators and computer engineers alone are expected to bulge by 1.4 million, or 1 percent, by 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And yet, according to the National Science Foundation, the number of engineering graduates has slipped by more than 7 percent in the past decade.

In other countries, such as the Philippines, ``there are more graduates available than jobs,'' said Marilyn P. Rivera, a Virginia Beach community leader who plans to recruit Filipino engineering, nursing and education students for U.S. companies willing to apply for an H-1B visa.

``Why should Americans only sell their products to other countries, such as the Philippines, or Europe, or Japan?'' asked Rivera, who owns a management consulting firm and is executive director of the Philippine American Literary Sports and Arts Foundation. ``We are in a global economic climate.''

But state officials said they're interested in long-term solutions, rather than short-term plugs.

By linking local universities, federal labs and private companies, they want to add power to research and development initiatives and educational opportunities. Gov. Jim Gilmore plans to announce this month a $13 million grant for university partnerships in technology.

Already, the recent H-1B legislation directs part of the companies' fees toward math and science scholarships. Another part flows toward computer training programs.

``The H-1B visa begs a larger question,'' said state Secretary of Technology Donald W. Upson. ``Why do we have that kind of shortage for the best jobs in America? Where are the workers?''

-- K (infosurf@yahoo.com), May 08, 2001

Answers

"Already, the recent H-1B legislation directs part of the companies' fees toward math and science scholarships. Another part flows toward computer training programs."

Maybe they can toss some money for unemployment compensation our way while they're at it.

I was down in Santa Clara (Silicon Valley) the other night visiting a friend and was shocked to find significant numbers of H-1B beneficiaries on the street and coming in and out of various apartment complexes. Anyone who doesn't believe me should check for themselves some evening after work. The sheer number of them was quite disconcerting to this older, unemployed IT professional.

-- Old Programmer (they@really.are.taking.our.jobs), May 08, 2001.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ