Any IT people out there unemployed?

[JBA]

I am not IT, but I was thinking about the special H-1 visa program that the Last Administration had to have to fuel the tech surge.

It was 195,000 visas a year for five years, due to expire this September, that’s 975,000 jobs that American IT’s don’t have. That’s about a quarter of the unemployment in the US today right? 4.2 million.

A troublesome thought I guess, if nothing eles.

[Mickey1992]

While H-1B visas can be granted for a maximum of 3 years, most are not.  It is not as simple as 195,000 x 5.  It is possbile that one person was granted a one-year visa 5 years in a row.

When the legislation sunsets this year, the number of visas granted goes back to its previous level of 65,000/year.  There is currently a bill under consideration that would reduce it to zero, but it has little chance of passing.

Although considering the news reports this week about the US IT industry moving 10% of its jobs overseas for "offshore consulting" by 2005, maybe we can get this reduced to zero.

[Chairboy]

H1-Bs are not for IT jobs only, btw.  One of my co-workers was an H1-B, and we're in development.

[ra]

There are other types of visas too.  There's the L-1 (I think) which allows multinational corporations to bring their overseas programmers to the US and work for very low pay.  During that time they are typically trained by US programmers before being sent back overseas, taking a US job with them.

The biggest long-term cause of US IT unemployment is overseas outsourcing, not visas.

The same problems hold for US engineers, architects, accountants, and some medical researchers.  It's the globalised economy, and adjusting to it is gonna suck.  Even those who keep their jobs will find their income potential drastically reduced.

ra

[LePaul]

Seems most of the tech jobs have been *shipped* overseas.  Last I knew, if you call Dell Tech Support, you aren't talking to the interns...yer talking to people *in* India.

[T0J0]

Watched C-span couple of weeks ago, Adminstration is very
 concerned with oversea outsourcing and visas...
 At least they have active dialogue about the issue, better than no dialogue at all..
 Lots of ideas no solutions...

[boxboy28]

like they said above .....
The building i work in has guys that work for a company called "Minacs" what these guys do is : when a Car dealer ship cant diagnois a problem /fix it they call the Minacs guys and they tell them whats wrong and what to do. So basically these guys are the "know all of GM car repairs" they just got the word that by this time next year all there job will be in canada or most likely India!   (GM cost savings) Now can you imagine being the Mechanic trying to find out what the heck to do talking to Habib India (with a thick accent) on the phone?

I sure wouldnt want to be him!

[Dowding]

IT unemployment is down to Clinton!

JBA is there any ill in the world that is not Clinton's fault? You seem a trifle obsessed.

Clinton has been out of office for three years - when does personal responsibility kick in for the Bush administration?

[nuchpatrick]

Ex-IT person....  I now have a better paying job that I didn't go to college for...  Go figure..

I can say SCREW AT&T Wireless Services

[JB73]

how about trying to get INTO IT:rolleyes:

been about a year job searching (i am currently employed by xerox) but every where i go "2 years minium experience"

hope it gets better or $7500 tuition down the farggin drain.

[nuchpatrick]

Heh.. JB all I can say is that I wasted 22k in my college tuition for my degree.

Good luck...