My last diary, Harris Miller, Soothsayer, showed a comparison of Harris Miller's projection of 1.2 million new information technology jobs and a half million unfilled positions in 2002 juxtaposed to the 2003 story of a declining job market and retraction of his rediculous assumptions, surveys and analyses.
This diary will elucidate the strategic path of Mr. Miller and his backers since 2003.
Harris Miller has repeatedly appeared before Congress to beg for increases in temporary work visas for cheap foreign labor despite the loss of over a half million IT jobs since 2000 attibutable to the DOT.COM and telecom failures, temporary work visa abuse, and offshore outsourcing of American jobs.
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2004
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ITAA Workforce Survey 2004
Adding Value+óGé¼-ªGrowing Careers
The Employment Outlook in Today+óGé¼Gäós Increasingly Competitive IT Job Market
Information Technology Association of America
Annual Workforce Development Survey
September 2004
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Major findings of this year+óGé¼Gäós survey are as follows:
The overall size of the IT workforce has grown slightly from 2003 to 2004, from approximately 10.3 million workers to 10.5 million workers;
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Programmers represent the largest single group of IT workers although programmer head count actually dropped slightly in the past year, down almost 30,000 jobs;
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While workforce size has increased, demand for IT workers continues to drop. Hiring managers indicated that they will seek to fill approximately 230,000 jobs this year compared to almost 500,000 last year;
ITAA Press Release
ITAA Says H-1B Rules Need Adjustment
04-Oct-04
Arlington, VA - The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) today said the start of the new federal fiscal year on October 1 marks an appropriate point to consider needed adjustments to the rules regarding the H1-B visa program. Federal law currently caps the number of H-1B visas at 65,000 per year. ITAA said that number has already been reached and the demand for H-1B visa holders will go unmet.
"The H-1B visa program is important to U.S. competitiveness in high technology," said ITAA President Harris N. Miller. "H-1B visa holders are foreign born individuals with talent and expertise unavailable in local markets. With the start of the fiscal year, we should start thinking about new ways to make the H-1B more flexible and practical. If the H-1B program works better, America works better."
Miller said ITAA supports an approach that would exempt from the annual H-1B visa cap foreign born individuals graduating from U.S. institutions with advanced degrees. "Allowing these graduates to work in the U.S. provides employers with access to world class talent while simultaneously denying that talent to our global competitors. And considering the significant investment of U.S. taxpayers in our university system, encouraging these foreign students to live and work in this country is the only reasonable way to realize a return."
ITAA Press Release
ITAA Applauds H-1B Visa Cap Relief
22-Nov-04
Arlington, VA - The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) today applauded Congressional lawmakers for including H-1B visa cap relief in the Omnibus Appropriations spending bill passed on Saturday. Specifically, the measure exempts from the annual 65,000 numerical cap on H-1B visas issued up to 20,000 graduates of U.S. institutions who have earned a master's or higher academic degree.
ITAA President Harris N. Miller said "Granting this exemption puts America first by giving U.S. employers access to this talent and giving U.S. taxpayers a bigger return on the tax dollars they invest every year in U.S. institutions of higher learning. Foreign students make up 50 percent or more of attendance in many advanced math, science and engineering programs. Forcing foreign students to return home after earning their advanced degrees sends that public investment packing. By taking this action, Congress has helped create more jobs, growth and competitive advantage for the U.S. high tech industries."
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2005
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ITAA Press Release
ITAA Press Release
ITAA Says H1-B Cap Needs Significant Increase
12-Aug-05
Arlington, VA - The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) today said the federal government's announcement that it has already received enough H1-B petitions to reach next year+óGé¼Gäós (FY+óGé¼Gäó06) cap underscores the need for a significant increase in the number of such visas allowed. Federal law currently caps the number of H1-B visas at 65,000 per year.
"The H1-B visa program is important to U.S. competitiveness in high technology," said ITAA President Harris N. Miller. "H1-B visa holders are foreign born individuals with talent and expertise unavailable in local markets. We believe a significant increase is required to meet the need for specialized skills and keep companies--and as a result jobs for US workers--growing at a steady pace."
Miller continued, "Talent does not recognize geographic borders or country of origin. If we want to be competitive on the world stage, we need to raise the H-1B cap. Maintaining a cap that is so low that it is met before the year even begins makes no sense; it only helps our foreign competitors."
ITAA Press Release
ITAA Calls for Significant Increase in H1-B Visa Limit
11-Oct-05
Arlington, VA - With the current 65,000 H-1B visas cap reached at the start of the federal government's fiscal year, the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) today called on Congress to increase significantly the number of such visas available this year and in future years.
"The current H-1B visa cap makes it increasingly difficult for U.S. companies to compete in global markets," said ITAA President Harris N. Miller. "While the federal government stopped processing visa applications this summer because it received so many, other developed countries are moving aggressively to attract this foreign talent. By doing so, we are ceding the field and sowing a very uncertain economic future."
Finally, Miller indicated the annual numerical limits on permanent immigrants who have high tech skills is a very significant concern that further weakens the ability of U.S. corporations to compete in today's global marketplace. "Individuals with critical skills and who are otherwise qualified to convert from temporary to permanent worker status cannot do so because we've capped visa programs and, as a result, severely curtailed our competitive vision," Miller said.
ITAA Press Release
ITAA Cheers Senate Vote on H-1B Visa Recapture
04-Nov-05
Arlington, VA - The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) today applauded lawmakers for including provisions in a Senate Judiciary Budget Reconciliation bill passed last night, 52-47, that would allow business immigration visas available but not issued in previous years to be applied in the current year.
"The Senate has grabbed the opportunity to make a real difference for America's high tech future," said ITAA President Harris N. Miller. "Recapturing these visas will give an immediate boost to U.S. competitiveness in overseas markets."
Here is the tally through 2004. 2005 numbers are late from USCIS.
Temporary Admissions in selected categories
Sources:
USCIS 2002 Spreadsheet (Excel)
USCIS 2004 Flow Report (.pdf)
"High Tech" Visa Glut.................................Millions
........................................................Truncated
. Year..L-1 Visa....H-1B......TN....F-1/M-1.....J-1...Total. Cumul.1981. 38,595.....................240,805. 80,230 0.359. 0.359
1982. 38,595+....................240,805+ 80,230+ 0.359+ 0.719+
1983. 38,595+....................240,805+ 80,230+ 0.359+ 1.078+
1984. 38,595+....................240,805+ 80,230+ 0.359+ 1.438+
1985. 65,349. 47,322............257,069 110,942 0.480. 1.919
1986. 65,349+ 47,322+...........257,069+ 110,942+ 0.480+. 2.399+
1987. 65,349+ 47,322+...........257,069+ 110,942+ 0.480+. 2.879+
1988. 65,349+ 47,322+...........257,069+ 110,942+ 0.480+. 3.359+
1989. 62,390. 89,856............334,402 178,199 0.664. 4.024
1990. 63,180 100,446............326,264 174,247 0.664. 4.690
1991. 70,505 114,467............343,238 182,693 0.710. 5.401
1992. 75,315 110,223............368,686 189,485 0.743. 6.144
1993. 82,606. 92,795............370,620 196,782 0.742. 6.887
1994. 98,189 105,899............394,001 216,610 0.814. 7.702
1995 112,124 117,574.. 23,904 364,220 201,095 0.818. 8.521
1996 140,457 144,458.. 26,987 426,903 215,475 0.954. 9.475
1997 140,457+ 144,458+.. 26,987+ 426,903+ 215,475+ 0.954+ 10.429+
1998 203,255 240,947.. 59,061 564,683 250,959 1.318 11.748
1999 234,443 302,326.. 68,354 567,146 275,519 1.447 13.196
2000 294,658 355,605.. 91,279 659,081 304,225 1.704 14.901
2001 328,480 384,191.. 95,486 698,595 339,848 1.846 16.748
2002 313,699 370,490.. 73,699 646,016 325,580 1.729 18.477
2003 298,054 360,498.. 59,446 624,917 321,660 1.664 20.142
2004 314,484 386,821.. 66,207 620,210 321,975 1.709 21.851Totals 3,248,072 3,610,342 591,410 9,727,381 4,674,515 21.851
Grand Estimated Total 21,851,720
+: conservative estimate, numbers not provided
L-1: Intra-company Transfers
H-1B: Specialty Workers and Fashion Models
TN: NAFTA
F-1/M-1: Academic and Vocational Students
J-1: Exchange Visitors
The process is also called "globalism".