- Newly disclosed data by the Department of Labor shows thousands of recent H1-B foreign worker visas requested by firms that underwent record layoffs this year.
- The hiring firms included Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META), Amazon.Com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN), Zoom Video Communications, Inc (NASDAQ:ZM), Salesforce, Inc (NYSE:CRM), Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR), Lee Fang wrote.
- One month after Google’s record downsizing announcement, it applied for low-paid foreign workers to come to America and take highly specialized tech jobs, including software engineers, analytical consultants, user experience researchers, and other roles.
- Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google, also filed and received visa applications for engineering jobs.
- Many Google visas are for new employees, with some starting by August 17.
- Fang cited a 2017 study that found that “wages for U.S. computer scientists would have been dearer by 2.6% to 5.1% while employment in computer science for U.S. workers would have been 6.1% to 10.8% higher in 2001 “in the absence of immigration.”
- The number of visa applications used in the technology industry soared for a second straight year, raising concerns about manipulating the system to gain an unfair advantage, authorities said in April, NY Post reports.
- According to Fang, tech firms have hired lobbyists to pressure lawmakers and the Biden administration to expand the number of H-1B visas issued.
- Price Actions: META shares traded higher by 1.72% at $242.90 on the last check Wednesday.
- Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Joe Biden Could Declare Climate Emergency This Week Amid Senate Impasse: WaPo
President Joe Biden could declare a national climate emergency as early as this week, according to a report from The Washington Post.
