| Topic Name: |
H1-B visas |
| Message Name: |
No Gaia - it is NOT a career anymore |
| Date Posted: |
12/12/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
This is from an article on www.salon.com. Since it is two years old, I expect things are worse now.
Then there's Matloff own research challenging the notion of a "shortage" of IT workers. By studying a database of college graduate surveys, he found that only 19 percent of computer science grads are still in that field 20 years later -- compared with 52 percent of civil engineers. To him, the low unemployment rate for programmers masks what he sees as a pattern of older techies getting left out in the cold in the middle of a red-hot economy.
Research by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers supports Matloff's claim that veteran coders are being driven out of the field. In a 1998 report, the institute discovered that unemployed members typically require three additional weeks to find a new job for each year of age over 45.
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| Message: |
Hello all, I'm back, and armed with facts.
The DOL (Department of Labor) provides public access information to anyone. They have a website that provides information about LCA's which states "The Department is required to provide a list of those employers who have submitted Labor Condition Applications." TRANSLATION: This site maintains info on H-1B requests.
You can perform a search by company name, tax ID, or state. The information provided covers the period of 10/01/2000 and 9/30/2001. You can find that site at the following link:
http://edc.dws.state.ut.us/casesearch.asp
When you view data and see the number of LCA's keep in mind that this is only for a one (1) year period. H-1Bs can stay up to 7 years. President Bush signed a presidential directive extending the limit from six (6) to seven (7) years. Thank you Mr. President. Now if you multiply the number of LCA's found by 7 you can get quite a number.
For example: when I entered the following search criteria "Cap Gemini Ernst & Young" I located 261 entries for a one (1) year period. For "Electronic Data Systems" I located 404. Just do the math. Then take a look at the unemployment rate in your state. Is there a link between H-1Bs and IT unemployment? I cannot tell you what to believe so check out the numbers and believe your own eyes.
Current estimates show H-1Bs numbering up to 800,000 in the US. In a time with IT outsourcing & corporate layoffs these stats are both alarming and enraging. The sad fact is that IT jobs are being sent offshore, eliminated via layoffs, or given away to foreignors who work for cheap.
By the way; there is no group (bar none) that is overburdened by H-1Bs more than contractors. Since we work for borks (brokers) we are the last ones to get work. Therefore we are very informed on this topic and it's been a raging topic for over three years now.
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