Saturday, October 20, 2007

H1-B Workers: The "Best and Brightest"?

Not really.

Out of 132,000 applications received on the first day they were accepted for the 2007 quota of 65,000 visas, just 12,989 were from applicants with master's degrees or higher.

That meant the vast bulk of applications came from workers with bachelor's degrees or less. These are not high-level researchers and software engineers, as they are often billed. They may be laboratory technicians or other...

(From a column by Tom Elias, quoted by Norm Matloff)

Matloff points out that Elias' column is slightly misleading---NOT in the statistics given, but that the "software engineers" are, indeed, among the applicants.

Contrary to the yappaflappa of H1-B proponents, the requirement is only for a "bachelor's degree or equivalent".

"The Best and Brightest"?

Not really. Cheap, yes. Highly-educated? Nope.

(Elias' column has a number of other inaccuracies, chief among them his blaming Bush and the Evil (R's) for the problem. So happens that the problem is bi-partisan, as Matloff takes pains to document.)

7 comments:

PaulNoonan said...

Why does it matter?

Dad29 said...

It only matters if you happen to think that US citizens should be preferred in hiring for US jobs.

You know, "brotherhood," "Patriotism," all that stuff that radical economic Libertarians just don't need.

PaulNoonan said...

I don't see why your location of birth should prevent you from holding a job somewhere as part of the free exchange of goods and services. If you are willing to do the work as well and/or for less, more power to you.

Do you have anything other than blind nationalism?

Dad29 said...

It's not "blind," and it's not "nationalism."

It's more an understanding of the term 'solidarity.'

Which beats blind economic determininism. Maybe when you get older you'll understand--assuming you grow up in the process.

PaulNoonan said...

I've noticed that the age you at which you are grown up seems to be moving ever backwards at the behest of those for whom senility is racing towards at an ever-increasing rate.

Solidarity, blind nationalism, whatever. You say tomato, then you say it again. It is no argument at all.

Dad29 said...

And economic determinism is a god of bankruptcy, which is why Libertarians are objects of derision in civilized circles.

PaulNoonan said...

Economics simply provides you with data with which you can make a more informed decision. It is not a god of any type, nor does it claim to be. If you prefer to make decision with as little information as possible. well, that's a pretty stupid way to behave. I like to actually know what I'm talking about, personally.

Also, the words "economic determinism " do not constitute an argument, (or anything other than a rhetorical argument). It's like saying that I'm using "smart determinism." Your argument is basically:

"Oh, you just want to do the smart thing every time. Not me. Sometimes you have to take the stupid path."

Are you really going to rely on that? Or do you have any actual arguments based on facts or logic?