4 ms·
> "The intent of H1-B was to get talented immigrants for jobs for which we had a shortage of American labor." Actually, the intent of H1-B is to fill jobs for
by davidf18 9y ago
> "The intent of H1-B was to get talented immigrants for jobs for which we had a shortage of American labor."
Actually, the intent of H1-B is to fill jobs for which there are no Americans that have the skill set. A "shortage" simply means that they aren't offering high enough wages.
Of the major tech firms (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, Oracle, ...) only Google has a presence in NYC of any size even though NYC has far more software people than SV, SF, Seattle. If there really, truly was a shortage as they claim, they would have much larger offices in NYC.
My understanding is that Gates in founding Microsoft in Seattle instead of SV did so precisely because he did not want to have to compete with SV firms for their tech labor which is another way of saying that Microsoft was in Seattle to maintained depressed tech wages.
- davidf18 9y agoIf you're going to downvote by 2 points, please state what is inaccurate. Nothing I have stated is inaccurate and Americans agree with me.
- chillacy 9y agoMaybe you could provide some proof for Microsoft being in Seattle because he "didn't want to compete with SV". But also as someone who works in Seattle (for a SV company), it's sort of insulting to imply that you have to be in SV. I get paid SV rates and don't pay any state income tax and have 4x cheaper housing, and the PNW is environmentally beautiful. But sorry I'm depressing your wage!
- davidf18 9y agoSeattle has presumably changed a bit since Microsoft was founded there about 40 years ago. No Amazon, etc. No competition for labor from other tech firms. Gates located there because he did not want to compete for labor from other tech firms and it was much harder then for SV or other tech to poach Microsoft employees paying them market wages. Remember Gates is very much the businessman. Nobody is competing with my work, I am simply pointing out facts. HN readers, who generally deal with facts and data should appreciate that. Imported labor depresses wages.
- chillacy 9y agoYou're right, I do appreciate facts. But you still haven't provided a source for your claim. Unless you do so, it seems like you're producing a mixture of facts, opinions, and speculation, and calling them all facts.
- davidf18 9y agoSee my comment above. I recall Gates or other reliable source stating this information and it made sense, because for me, Seattle is boring, boring.
- aanm1988 9y agoSo basically you hate Seattle so you are going to keep pushing this narrative?
- davidf18 9y agoNo, there is a business case as it keeps tech labor costs lower, at least at the time the decision was made 40 years ago to locate in Seattle. You'll note that Boeing relocated their HQ to Chicago.
- chillacy 9y agoCool story. Maybe we have different ideas of what proof is... I was hoping for a link to an interview or an article. Did Seattle rain in your coffee or something?
- davidf18 9y ago> "Did Seattle rain in your coffee or something?" Haha very funny. Starbucks HQ is in Seattle. I do drink Starbucks sometimes.
- mywittyname 9y agoWhy not stay in Albuquerque then? He and his cofounder both grew up in greater Seattle and the area is home to University of Washington, which has a top-ranked Computer Science program (right behind Berkley, CM, & MIT), making talent easy to find.
- maxxxxx 9y agoMicrosoft was in Seattle because Gates came from there. That's the whole secret.
- davidf18 9y agoIt's true he was from there, but he also located there so that he would not have to compete with SV for labor.
- maxxxxx 9y agoI read his biography and I never read about this being a factor. They just wanted to move home from Albuquerque.
- davidf18 9y agoAnd of course, biographies are 100% correct, especially on what might be a contentious issue.
- aanm1988 9y agoI'll believe a perfectly reasonable explanation over a conspiracy theory any day.
- davidf18 9y agoIt is not conspiracy theory rather a business decision to not want to be in a labor market where your competitors can hire away your best workers. It could also be true that 1. Gates didn't want to locate in SV for that business reason but 2. Deciding that he didn't want to be in SV, he then chose Seattle over another location. You do understand the business case for not locating his firm in SV? You do understand that at the time he made his decision, that SV and tech was much smaller than today and he wanted to keep his labor rates lower and that locating outside of SV was a way to achieve this.