More info needed on H-1Bs?

Date: Monday, October 06, 2003 11:46 AM

JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER

www.ZaZona.com

Ed Fruaenheim's article is an accurate depiction of the GAO report. The
GAO claims that there isn't enough data on H-1B to know what effect it
has on US workers. Their preposterous excuse of ignorance doesn't pass
the common sense test because the data is there for all to see. GAO
researchers simply ignored the evidence and pretended that the data
doesn't exist. The GAO contacted 145 H-1B employers to learn more about
H-1B but they refused to listen to many of the victims of H-1B that
contacted their office.

Frauenheim is usually one of the better reporters on H-1B but this time
he showed an uncharacteristic lack skepticism towards the the GAO.
Perhaps he tailored the article for ZDNET, an internet magazine that
has a known bias for supporting H-1B.

The article below may signal the start of a flood of articles that use
the GAO's biased conclusions. In the past reporters and Congress
totally ignored the GAO reports that strongly criticized H-1B - so why
is this report getting so much attention?

http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104-5086218.html

Report: More info needed on H-1Bs

By Ed Frauenheim
ed.frauenheim@cnet.com

CNET News.com
October 3, 2003, 11:56 AM PT

Congress' accounting office says the government should do a better job
of collecting data to help determine the impact the controversial H-1B
guest worker program has on U.S. workers.

In a study released Thursday, the U.S. General Accounting Office said
that the Department of Homeland Security has "incomplete information on
H-1B worker entries, departures, and changes in visa status. As a
result, DHS (Department of Homeland Security) is not able to provide
key information needed to oversee the H-1B program and its effects on
the U.S. work force, including data on the number of H-1B workers in
the United States at any time."

The H-1B program permits highly skilled foreigners to work in the
United States for up to six years. Defenders of the program view it as
a way for companies to remain competitive by hiring foreign workers
with specialized talents. Opponents have assailed H-1B visas for taking
away scarce tech jobs from U.S. workers.

The program permitted up to 195,000 new visas annually in 2001, 2002
and 2003. In 2001, 163,600 petitions were approved against the cap, and
the number fell to 79,100 in 2002, according to the study. H-1B
petitions approved for employment with U.S. universities and nonprofit
research organizations are not counted against the annual cap.

The cap falls back to 65,000 for the year that began October 1.

The report said that in contrast with 2000, most H-1B visas granted in
2002 were to fill positions in fields not directly related to
information technology, such as economics, accounting and biology. In
2002, 40 percent of all H-1B visas were approved to fill IT-related
occupations, such as systems analysis and electrical engineering,
compared with 65 percent in 2000.

The number of H-1B petition approvals and U.S. citizens employed in
certain occupations, such as systems analysts and electrical engineers,
decreased from 2001 to 2002, according to the report.

The GAO said it contacted 145 H-1B employers, with 36 agreeing to speak
about the issue. The majority of those 36 said that they recruited,
hired and retained workers based on the skills needed, rather than the
on applicant's citizenship or visa status, according to the study.
Despite increases in unemployment, most employers said that finding
workers with the skills needed in certain science-related occupations
remains difficult, the GAO said.

Some employers acknowledged that H-1B workers might work for lower
wages than their U.S. counterparts, but the extent to which wage is a
factor in employment decisions is unknown, the report said.

In addition to calling for better tracking of H-1B visa-related data,
the GAO urged the Homeland Security Department to issue regulations on
the extent to which unemployed H-1B workers are allowed to remain in
the United States.

"Allowing unemployed H-1B workers to remain in the United States may
have implications for the labor force competition faced by U.S.
workers," the report said.

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