Thread: The Curious Case of Vanishing U.S. Jobs

The Curious Case of Vanishing U.S. Jobs

By Heide B. Malhotra
Epoch Times Staff Created: Aug 30, 2011 Last Updated: Aug 30, 2011

BUSINESS COMMENTARY
The unemployment rate in the United States still hovers around 9.1 percent, yet the U.S. federal government still allows companies to bring in foreign workers under its foreign worker programs with the excuse that local talent is not available.

The most debated programs are the H-1B, H-2B, L-1, OPT, J-1, and B-1 visas, under which a U.S. company can employ a foreign worker for up to six years. Each visa designation addresses a different need, with the H-2B visa allowing a company to bring in a foreign worker who lacks the qualification for a specific job but can be trained within a reasonable time.

During good economic times these programs helped people come to the Unites States, but over the years, and especially during the recent economic downturn, these programs stop Americans from getting jobs because they are lost to foreign workers that entered the country on the above foreign worker programs, according to a 2011 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

“The total number of H-1B workers in the United States at any one time—and information about the length of their stay is unknown, because (1) data systems among the various agencies that process such individuals are not linked so individuals cannot be readily tracked, and (2) H-1B workers are not assigned a unique identifier that would allow for tracking them over time,â€

It's always hard for Americans to get through times of economic downturn. But those willing to work have in the past always been able to find something to do. And many times they would end up working two--or even three- jobs to keep their homes and make ends meet. The economy doesn't improve much until we get to the next round of exportable goods or services.

Now..everything has changed. Our labor representatives have blinders on, completely oblivious to the plight of struggling Americans.