FREE ESSAY ON FOREIGN HIGH-TECH WORKERS

FOREIGN HIGH-TECH WORKERS

HIGH TECH COMPANIES SEEK TO HIRE MORE FOREIGN WORKERS
Milwaukee Journal Business Section February 13, 2000
High technology companies that are asking congress to allow more foreigners to fill the
labor shortage of skilled labor. Every year approximately 100,000 jobs for educated
workers in the high-tech. industry are created. Currently there are 115,000 foreigners
working in the United States with 6-year visas. These workers are college educated and
some are paid over $60,000 per year. 
One of external forces of high-tech companies would be the limiting of number of visas by
the government. In the last six months, the technology industry contributed $4 million
dollars to federal candidates. These contributions are a definite way to influence the
government as an external force. Another external force would be the fact that some
countries outside of the U.S. can pay their skilled laborers less therefore being able to
produce products at a lower price.
Labor unions are trying to persuade congress that these immigrants are not needed and are
underpaid. These visas limit jobs and lower wages for American workers that have a
college education. I think that these labor unions are correct since Americans would fill
these new jobs in high-tech fields if the companies would be willing to pay higher
salaries. Currently there is almost no unemployment here America, but once the economy
takes a turn for the worse, many Americans will be unemployed since congress is letting
in foreigners for six years. 
I think that putting foreigners on the payroll is an easy way for American companies to
cut costs in order to remain competitive in a global market. Instead of hiring
immigrants, these companies should work on focusing internal forces. To reduce their
skilled labor shortage, companies should invest in educating their current employees and
find good workers through hiring from within. Another solution to the labor shortage
would be for the high-tech industry to pay higher wages for college graduates.
Hiring foreign workers may be a short-term solution to avoid moving operations overseas.
In this sense, foreigners may actually help Americans keep their jobs since
high-technology companies would not be able to compete with global competition. If the
company cannot produce cost effective products in the United States they will probably
follow many other companies that have moved factories south into Mexico. These companies
should try to send lower paying jobs to overseas operations while trying to keep the
high-tech jobs here in the United States. This will help the company to be more
competitive in a global market.