H-1Bs Don’t Replace U.S. Workers: Employment Rises in Top H-1B Fields As H-1Bs Enter

Aug 21

by Dave Bier

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Opponents of the H-1B high-skilled work visa argue that businesses use it primarily to replace American workers with cheaper foreign substitutes, taking jobs from native-born workers and undercutting their wages. But the data show that over the last decade, as businesses have requested more H-1Bs, they also expanded jobs for Americans.

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Other findings:

Real hourly wages in the top H-1B fields have risen by five percent compared to a two percent decline for all occupations.
High skilled foreign workers earned four percent more on a weekly basis than the native-born in 2013.
Other research has found that H-1B hiring firms create 5 to 7 more jobs than general market conditions would predict and that high skilled foreign STEM workers earn slightly more than native-born STEM workers.
Economic research has concluded that a one percent increase in foreign workers as a share of total employment raises wages of college-educated American workers by 7 to 8 percent.
Ninety-five percent of all permanent residents who received a green card from high skilled employment adjusted from temporary status, making the worker program critical to maintaining a strong legal immigration system.

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