6 Comments
User's avatar
⭠ Return to thread
JayDub's avatar

Some H1B workers are paid less. Some are paid more. Using the company's median wage for that role is not a reliable measuring stick. "Prevailing wage" is a better metric of the labor market's pricing for labor, and does take into account job title as well as geographic demand for that labor.

If "A total of 60% of all H-1B jobs are assigned wage levels that are well below the local median wage" that is actually not a terrible stat. 50% are above the median and 50% below among US Citizens (because of math). 60% is worse, but you have to dig more into the stat to convince me. Also, how far "below" is dictated by the prevailing wage ranges (which will closely align with general labor-market pay ranges.

"Underpaid" immigrants under an H1B are easily recruited away (via visa transfers to a new employer who won't underpay them)--something I've done frequently. [But now people won't be happy that we're recruiting them and paying them well!]

I think you're looking for a bogeyman without considering a breadth of factors (you should also consider the legal costs of processing and maintaining an H1B and other factors transporting and housing some of these workers if you want to talk straight-dollars).

If we workers want to capture the labor market we'll need to do what our employers work every day to do: Do more and do it better, for less. Sorry--welcome to the most successful economy in the world.

Expand full comment
Ken's avatar

I'm so confused by what you are arguing. Are H1Bs for high quality talent? Why would we not expect they trend to above the median? If they work harder, why would that also not mean they trend to being paid more?

At this point the lack of coherence in what H1B is about makes me think this is all ideological. Like some Libertarian thing.

My concern is it looks like corporate welfare and here you are telling people they are actually just lazy.

Expand full comment
disinterested's avatar

If you have a talented candidate who wants to work for less than you’re paying an equally talented candidate, why wouldn’t you hire the first one? I swear to god, you are all mostly innumerate on this side of the argument.

Expand full comment
Chudd Renegade's avatar

Oh the irony of one calling someone "innumerate" when what they meant to say was "illiterate". I get the feeling you are one of the so-called "high-skilled" workers.

Expand full comment
Moltar's avatar

Why would they have any reason to work for less?

Expand full comment
Moltar's avatar

You are such an HR bullshitter. How do you people go to sleep at night. You’re company cheerleaders and narcs. Your rats and syncophants.

Expand full comment