- Credits:
- texasgopvote.com
Helen’s Place LLC, Update July 27, 2022
Companies often say that they can’t find enough qualified applicants to fill their temporary jobs, ranging from lower paid construction workers to higher paid tech workers. In a robust economy this appears to be true.
However, many American’s are skeptical because there’s a historical disconnect between what companies claim to justify the hiring of foreign workers, and the reality that it’s often about securing the cheapest labor possible to maximize profits.
Figuring out the balancing act between the hiring of foreign and American workers, is critically important to the emotional fitness of the nation. We’ve been fighting about it for too long.
Traditionally, companies pay cheaper wages to foreign workers with H2-B visas than to Americans, and this is why company monitoring is important to ensure the H2-B visa rules are followed and the program isn’t misused.
At the present time, there’s a big push by industry to get the current administration and U.S. State Department to issue more H2-B visas because there’s a labor shortage of American workers.
But there’s a lack of outreach on the part of American companies to find and/or relocate American workers from disadvantaged areas of the U.S., because it may be easier and less expensive to find foreign workers through labor contractors for their temporary jobs.
Companies may also justify the hiring of foreign workers, because they can’t find the exact skillset in American workers, and they claim they can’t afford to spend the time or money to train them.
One solution is to ensure that companies obtaining H2-B visa guest worker permits, demonstrate a concerted effort to hire American’s first, by increased advertising and participating in programs to help high school students, college graduates, and the two-thirds of American’s without college degrees gain employment;
If a company claims that American workers can’t be found, they should be required to prove they are participating with organizations that are helping American workers find jobs.
Additionally, the higher the percentage of foreign workers hired, the higher the percentage of involvement a company should have in participation in American worker training programs.
For example, for every two foreign workers hired, a company could fund one American in a training program in high school, college, or other non-profit U.S. training organization;
More than ever, American’s need to participate in training programs that will lead to a better life, and no one should be left behind.
Statistics bear out that cheap foreign labor is never really cheap, because the U.S. suffers when its citizens aren’t employed in living wage jobs.
A balance between using American labor and foreign labor must be achieved, even if Americans have to pay a bit more to buy goods and services, and companies using foreign workers, do more to hire and train Americans.
Related audio/video interview recording:
Discussion about America’s history of anxiety over immigration:
CNN, John Avalon, January 13, 2022, “The truth about America’s history of anti-immigrant anxiety”
Other related article you may be interested in:
Helen’s Place LLC, “Help Companies Find Workers in U.S. Before Search Overseas”
Bipartisan Policy Center, February 28, 2021, “Primer: H-2B Visas are Vital to Meet Workforce Needs, but Reforms are Necessary.”
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