As I’ve been saying for the last decade there is no shortage of science, technology, engineering, and math workers in the U. S. economy and here’s more evidence that supports that conclusion:
This wage data suggest that there is not a shortage of STEM workers broadly, or for commonly discussed computer occupations. (Data on all detailed STEM occupations is available here.) One reason employers might think they can’t find workers is that they may have inflexible requirements for vacant positions. For example, a company might require that workers work for low wages and long hours, or that they have particular certifications or unreasonably specific skills, or vague cultural attributes that favor certain types of people. There might also be an unwillingness to train new workers on-the-job, which was very common in the past.
Or, alternatively, employers are writing job descriptions specifically to fit an H1-B workers they’d like to bring in for substantially lower wages than the prevailing wage for the job. I know this happens because I’ve actually seen it. As I’ve said before that presents a problem to which the solution is a centralized clearing house for positions for which employers wish to bring in a workers on an H1-B visa along with a requirement for paying the prevailing wage (yes, it’s difficult to determine but not impossible—the job sites do it every day) and accepting qualified domestic applicants.
For example, a company might require that workers work for low wages and long hours, or that they have particular certifications or unreasonably specific skills, or vague cultural attributes that favor certain types of people.
Such as, the new head of the IT department is Indian, and he wants to fire all the Americans and hire a bunch of Indians who will be terrified of the boss. Hey, that’s what happened at Disney!
BONUS for the Disney situation: The Indian guy firing Americans and hiring Indians was one of the founding members of ENRON.
The US economy is like the Vietnam described in Apocalypse: NOW!: The shit piles up so fast you need wings to stay above it.
As I’ve said before that presents a problem to which the solution is a centralized clearing house for positions for which employers wish to bring in a workers on an H1-B visa along with a requirement for paying the prevailing wage (yes, it’s difficult to determine but not impossible—the job sites do it every day) and accepting qualified domestic applicants.
OR, just cancel the goddamned H-1B program altogether. If the employers can’t find anyone qualified in a country of over 300,000,000 people, they’re not trying hard enough.
There should be a database with every H-1B visa worker. It would list his/her employer, pay rate, qualifications, and contact info. This would allow other companies to easily poach each other’s worker’s.
Additionally, any H-1B visa worker with information about his/her employer violating the H-1B visa program would receive immediate citizenship or a permanent work visa and a percentage of any fine. The informants should be allowed to remain anonymous.
There should be a reward for regular employees with information. The rewards should be enormous, and the company should pay them. (millions or tens of millions of dollars) This would give people a real incentive to jeopardize their jobs. Unfounded charges would be severely fined also.
Finally, there should be criminal prosecutions, and if needed, the laws should be changed to include criminal penalties.
Or let the market decide. Cap the number of H-1B visas and auction them off. H-1B employees now cost more than American workers, but if there is a genuine shortage they are still available.
Which raises a good point. That auctions are so rarely used for allocating licenses, etc. is pretty fair evidence that the system is rigged.