By Lauren Gibbons Paul, Network World, 08/08/05 Outsourcing. Automation. Downsizing. The industry has been awash in unemployed IT pros. But experts are now predicting an IT staffing crunch is just around the corner, and the implications for U.S. technology innovation are sobering. http://www.networkworld.com/research/2005/080805-it-shortage.html?t5&story=home1
Not to worry. Bill Gates and the AEA are hard at work lobbying our Congress to increase the amount of visas coming in(lifting caps) so that we can maintain a cheap supply of IT labor and ensure that the unemployed pros stay unemployed. They will likely succeed. One thing about Congress is that their votes can go to the highest bidder. Rarely do they consider their constituents anymore. With the exception of a few like Ron Paul. In the Computerworld August 22 article John Palafoutas, AEA VP, says, He wants to put in place automatic triggers to increase the visas. Incredible. And, as if the H-1b talent pool is the best. Nope. Just most often the cheapest. Oh, and you think those "IT industry groups" are composed of anything more than CEO groups? Think Washtech gets in there, or even the Programmer's Guild?
Bing, thanks for banging home the truth. Industry and govt forces are hard at work to insure that the dot.com days of old will never return. At the same time, the propaganda machine churns out doctored statistics attempting to portray the situation as "turning the corner", or "just as good or better than before". Regardless of these official or industry reports, students continue to avoid Engineering and Technology in favor of occupations that don't compete with foreign labor and pay a livable wage. Would corporations like to hire US citizens? Sure, but only when they are willing to accept the same pay as visa holders. Considering the investment required and payoff for that investment, it's certain that the present trends will continue.
So you don't believe the US Bureau of Labor Statistics but you will believe someone who is giving you one off anecdotes and propoganda that amounts to little more than chicken little analysis. I suppose there a is a market for conspiracy theories, but you can rest assured that IT jobs are not being hoarded in some underground facility of Area 51. There are more IT jobs today than there were in 2000. Today, the unemployment rate is lower for IT professionals than the unemployment rate for non-farm workers. IT employees are paid a much higher average salary ($66,000) than the average wage for non-farm workers. Over the past two years, IT jobs have grown at a faster rate than the average for non-farm workers. [/list=a] On top of all that, with people like bing and you trying to scare people away from the profession due to no sound reasoning, its just making things better for the people who are will to just accept the truth.
You are getting sleeeeepy now....Yessss. Truuusssst the government. They are your friend....friend...friend. They will tell you the truth always. They will neeevvver lie to youuuuu. Congressmen are not bought by lobbyists. Congress works for youuuu... Immigration lawyers only do their work as a service to their country.... CEOs onlyyyy want to hire Americans and pay them morrrre than h-1bs. We realllyyy dooo have a shortage of professors in this country.... I would call the visa program, Gates request to get rid of the cap, the AEA lobby to jack up the h-1b numbers, all the IT layoffs, and the still massive amounts of outsourcing to India pretty fairly convincing reasons to be scared off. (In fact, right now I am architecting a system with citrix servers, setup in India, so we can outsource even more work.) If there were all the jobs you say don't you think the American students would be flocking to the CS programs?(even lately the Indian students are choosing to get the mgt degrees vs the IT or CS master's) Afterall, Patterson and the government are out there saying that there are jobs aplenty and the future is bright and rosy right? So, maybe then people don't really believe the government. These kids are not stupid. They might even see Lou Dobbs, read the papers, and see the layoff announcements. Why would they want to study something that has a huge chance of getting them nothing in the end? If all they are going to do is manage Indian and Chinese contractors then they might as well get a management degree and maybe throw in a few IT courses as a minor. If the field looked so promising the kids would be studying it. Afterall, there are plenty of high schoolers with the interest and could easily move into CS or IT studies. Yet, they are choosing to not go into it. They are also smart enough to know that even if there were some jobs that the visas are lowering wages in IT.
Again, I agree with Bing 100%. I certainly wouldn't encourage anyone to go into the field, not because I believe in conspiracy theories, but from experience. I have worked for several Fortune 50 companies over the years (Engineering & IT) and work for one now. Many acquaintances, as well as myself, have also been downsized, laid off, and rejected, while visa holders get and maintain employment. I personally know former co-workers (engineers and IT professionals with degrees) who now work in slaughterhouses, as tax advisers, in fast food restaurants, etc. As previously stated, if IT and Technology are so good, why are students staying away and why are so many professionals not working in their field?
It's not a matter of trusting government but of comparing apples to apples. The apples in this case are BLS figures from year to year.
I was talking to a lady at work about the H-1B problem. She's a java development lead, very sharp mind, in her 40's, CS degree, and 20 years of experience. I've known her for years. She told me that if she ever got cut she would bring a discrimination suit like nobody's business. OK for her but on my hand I don't have such a trump card to play. You ever see the movie Primer? The talk in the movie is close to home about 40 year old engineers. (not to forget Office Space's magazine salesman who used to be a software engineer). So, maybe the field is worth a look for women in the end, if they have such a desire. There aren't that many women in the field and they can play the discrimination hand if they get cut. The August 13 "San Jose Mercury News" says it as good as anyone can... I have some friends working at a Lockheed project. They are cutting 50% of their engineer/cs workforce and bringing in L1 visas to replace them. They offered a deal...volunteer to get cut and we will give you some extra bennies. How generous. Only 30 people signed up but they needed 128. Looks like Lockheed went to India and setup a company to hire there and bring them here. Basically the same thing Intel is doing. Companies go to India, setup a company there, and bring their "employees" here under the L1 visa...which has no cap, and they don't have to pay the employees a prevailing wage. Satyam, Tata, Infosys, and Wipro all have deals with American companies to do the L1. From Craig Schneider's article at CFO.com... This CFO maneuver is a fairly compelling reason to stay away from IT. Even now, I am getting bits and bytes of info from AEA and like groups saying, "we have a shortage of IT managers."
