Grassley: High-Skilled American Workers Struggling to Find Jobs

[flexnor]

nice letter from Grassley to Obama in the press release

http://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/Article.cfm?customel_dataPageID_1502=38933

[LiberalEsto]

1. He's right

My brother in law, who works in IT, hasn't been able to find work in that field for several years because of foreign workers on H1-B visas.

I wish, though, that Grassley could push for something stronger, something that requires companies to PROVE they can't find American workers to fill vacancies. With verification and legal consequences.

[flexnor]

3. a LOT of people know someone who's been displaced, but there shouldn't be ANY

if we really needed that many guest workers

and in most countries, if guest workers are allowed in, the number of qualified citizens unemplyed in the field is ZERO

[flexnor]

2. why did Obama take industry's 'word' on job demand, without even checking govmt stats?

I'd expect that from George Bush, not Obama

And where are the democrats on this?!?!

why is it GRASSLEY that has to call this out?

[flexnor]

4. key part of the letter

was surprised to learn that you responded to Ms. Wedel by saying “industry tells me that they don’t have enough highly skilled engineers.” You also said that “the word we’re getting is that somebody in that kind of high-tech field, that kind of engineer, should be able to find something right away.” You said there’s a huge demand for engineers across the country, with which Ms. Wedel seemed to take issue. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) would also suggest otherwise. According to the BLS, the unemployment rate for electrical engineers rose 3.7% from 2006 to 2010.

Your response to Ms. Wedel leads me to believe that you don’t understand the plight of many unemployed high-skill Americans. Mr. Wedel’s situation is all too common. Thousands of qualified Americans remain out of work while companies are incentivized to import foreign workers. I’m concerned that you’re hearing only one side of the story -- from businesses who claim that there are better and brighter people abroad.

Despite your online chat and interest in investigating the problem, just last week, your administration proposed rules to “attract and retain highly skilled immigrants.” The Department of Homeland Security will expand the eligibility for foreign students to stay in the U.S. under the Optional Practical Training program. This program does not have U.S. worker protections, nor does it require that employers pay prevailing wages to these foreign students/employees. Your administration will also provide work authorizations to spouses of H-1B visa holders, thus increasing the competition for many Americans who are looking for work. It’s astonishing that, at this time of record unemployment, your administration’s solution is to grant more work authorizations to foreign workers. These initiatives will do very little to boost our economy or increase our competitiveness.

[flexnor]

5. why stopping citizen displacement is so superior to 'stimulus'

1) It doesnt cost anything

2) It has immediate effect

3) it doesnt require 'training' (you just let people who are already qualified have the job)

see this short youtube if you doubt that

key quotes in this youtube

"If it gets to the point where somebodys' looking like they're very
qualified, we ask [the employer] to have the manager of that specific
position step in and go over the qualifications with them--if necessary
schedule an interview, go through the whole process to find a legal
basis to disqualify them for this position--in most cases there doesn't
seem to be a problem."

(it's a problem for the citizen who wasted their time preparing for, traveling to the interview and answering questions in the interview for a job they had NO chance of getting)

Imagine reversing the role, and doing that with an HR person or a lawyer, wasting their time that way

4) it affects all unemployment, not just tech. the guy qualified for tech isnt competing for the truck driving or lowes jobs, or whatever other jobs he took after getting pushed out of tech. recent grads have better emplyment prospects, because those qualified for tech apply for tech jobs, instead of others

In other words, you actually solve the problem, rather than putting on an expensive temporary band aid

[RainDog]

6. k&r n/t