H-1B visa: It's everywhere you want to be! For now

[LaCroix]

If immigrants or people on work visas are taking jobs from Americans, it's because they're doing jobs American are too lazy to do or aren't qualified to do.

or they're doing the same jobs and are "more qualified" (however that's defined in a given circumstance) than qualified american applicants

[alfred russel]

I don't think there is any doubt that the availability of H1B workers depresses salaries. That is just basic economics.

Um no. You don't get any more basic than supply and demand curves. H1B visas may shift the supply curve to the right, but they can also shift the demand curve to the right. The effect on price is ambiguous.

[DGuller]

I don't think there is any doubt that the availability of H1B workers depresses salaries. That is just basic economics.

Um no. You don't get any more basic than supply and demand curves. H1B visas may shift the supply curve to the right, but they can also shift the demand curve to the right. The effect on price is ambiguous.

I don't think that lack of independence between supply and demand curves is the most basic thing.  It's not at all basic, from what I know.  The most basic economic concept is that curves shift independent of one another.

[The Minsky Moment]

I don't think there is any doubt that the availability of H1B workers depresses salaries. That is just basic economics.

I think there is some doubt.  The numbers aren't large enough to have a big impact.  There is reason to believe that some of those jobs would just be geographically outsourced.  Many of the program participants -- Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon - are paying program workers salaries above the median for the job category.  The big consulting groups pay less but probably because they generally pay less. 

The other consideration is that if even one or two of those guys contributes to some idea or helps start a new business line that itself employs more people there could be a net positive impact.

[Admiral Yi]

Um no. You don't get any more basic than supply and demand curves. H1B visas may shift the supply curve to the right, but they can also shift the demand curve to the right. The effect on price is ambiguous.

How would they shift the demand curve?  Do Indian tech workers all need assistant tech workers?

[alfred russel]

Um no. You don't get any more basic than supply and demand curves. H1B visas may shift the supply curve to the right, but they can also shift the demand curve to the right. The effect on price is ambiguous.

How would they shift the demand curve?  Do Indian tech workers all need assistant tech workers?

By allowing the US to become a global tech leader.

[11B4V]

Um no. You don't get any more basic than supply and demand curves. H1B visas may shift the supply curve to the right, but they can also shift the demand curve to the right. The effect on price is ambiguous.

How would they shift the demand curve?  Do Indian tech workers all need assistant tech workers?

No, but don't they need tech assistance.

[CountDeMoney]

No, but don't they need tech assistance.

They don't, but you do, pal.  Please unplug your router, wait 30 seconds and then plug it back in.

[Admiral Yi]

By allowing the US to become a global tech leader.

I don't follow your logic.

[The Minsky Moment]

The availability of quality staff is a key consideration for a tech company in deciding where to locate facilities.  It is the single most determining factor in identifying successful "technology clusters" of which the Valley is the most prominent.

[Berkut]

I don't think there is any doubt that the availability of H1B workers depresses salaries. That is just basic economics.

I think there is some doubt.  The numbers aren't large enough to have a big impact.  There is reason to believe that some of those jobs would just be geographically outsourced.  Many of the program participants -- Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon - are paying program workers salaries above the median for the job category.  The big consulting groups pay less but probably because they generally pay less. 

The other consideration is that if even one or two of those guys contributes to some idea or helps start a new business line that itself employs more people there could be a net positive impact.

I think you are wrong about the doubt. Having more people willing to come do complex engineering work at half the cost certainly depresses salaries for American workers. I know this because *I HIRE THESE PEOPLE*. And I certainly consider the costs of a foreign worker when deciding what I am willing to pay.

Now, I agree that it is a net positive effect overall - indeed, I would argue it is a HUGE positive effect, in fact. For one, the numbers are not that large. They are large enough to notice in that it isn't such a barrier in numbers that you don't consider it. And there are other costs involved in hiring these workers as well - legal costs, hassle costs, cultural integration costs (although if you hire a bunch of them, it perversely actually starts working the other way, and if you hire a bunch of them AND outsource work to India as well, you get some really interesting cultural dynamics working you would not expect).

But I have zero doubt that this depresses wages among technology workers. I also have little doubt that the demand for technology workers is great enough that they are still making a lot more than nearly everyone else, so I am not terribly worried about that small depression of prices.

[Phillip V]

Please send me resumes of US Citizens with the following qualifications (no degree required):

•   Hands-on experience with MySQL, Tomcat, and Linux or equivalent
•   Competency in writing SQL queries and executing Linux commands
•   Experience reviewing raw log files (i.e. firewall, network flow, DLP, IDS, system logs)
•   Ability to travel at least 25%-50% of the time
•   Willing to relocate to Atlanta, New York City, or Washington DC metro areas

[Berkut]

If I am travelling half the time, why do I need to live in one of those areas?

[CountDeMoney]

I think you are wrong about the doubt. Having more people willing to come do complex engineering work at half the cost certainly depresses salaries for American workers. I know this because *I HIRE THESE PEOPLE*.

In that cutting edge bustling tech hub of Rochester, NY? No wonder they're depressed.  Probably the wages, too.

And I certainly consider the costs of a foreign worker when deciding what I am willing to pay.

Employers depress salaries, not immigrants.

[Admiral Yi]