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The unemployment rate is at record lows. Layoffs are part of the natural economic cycle.

bmitc 4y ago
That ignores the problem that many H-1B holders will be forced to leave the country. It's in poor taste that these companies are doing this, as it could be the reason that a lot of solid talent leaves the U.S. The U.S. already lost a lot of talent during the pandemic.
- riffraff 4y ago
  That sucks for everyone involved, but as long as GDP grows, wages grow, unemployment goes down, it seems hard for the government to justify intervention to protect "those pesky foreigners". Yeah this might come back to bite them in the arse in the future but from a political point of view it seems unfeasible to do otherwise.
- Simon_O_Rourke 4y ago
  Totally agree, it's hard, but firing (or retaining) folks based on visa status is inherently unfair too. TBH, there should be some more reasonable period attached to most H-1B visas where holders are given six months to find a new job.
  - WirelessGigabit 4y ago
    They have 60 days. But in reality that's not enough. And even then, applying while under H-1B puts you in a difficult position. You don't have that much choice, as your denial might result being out of status. Not to mention that companies might take advantage from it.
    - heleninboodler 4y ago
      This might sound like a weird, blunt question, but what's the practical real world implication for an H-1B holder with a good financial situation (12-18 months of survival runway) but a family (spouse, kids in school), and who loses their visa due to losing their job? What actually happens at 60 days? Is there a possibility of just keeping quiet and hoping to find a job before their situation is exposed, or is this super risky in terms of being deported if found out? Could they head back to their home country and start a job search while leaving the family in the house/school in the US? Or are they literally risking their spouse and kids ending up in an immigration detention center somewhere? What is the likelihood of it all being OK if they end up finding a job but had a gap in their immigration status? What is the likelihood that a minor blip upends everything for an otherwise highly employable person?
      - WirelessGigabit 4y ago
        So family (spouse, children) who are dependent on the other spouse's H-1B have the same problem. Once the status runs out the dependent status runs out too. After 60 days they need to leave. They MAY get caught, but the USA doesn't actively enforce overstayers on status. You'll run into problems when you want to re-enter the USA. And if you wish to stay, you cannot find a (legal) job because your employer needs to fill in an I-9, which will reveal the fact that you are out of status.
        heleninboodler 4y ago
        So is it safe to leave the country but leave your spouse and kids behind, find a job, and then re-enter, or will this trigger detection of your spouse and kids overstaying?
        WirelessGigabit 4y ago
        As long as it is within the 60 day period I don't think so, but IANAL.
      - bmitc 4y ago
        When you change jobs under an H-1B, you have to apply for a transfer. It would be found out if you violated the visa terms.
- farseer 4y ago
  India needs this talent to come back. The H-1B holders will have no trouble finding a job back home, they are the best their country has to offer.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - FredPret 4y ago
    Why didn't India do enough to entice these people to stay in the first place? People own their countries, not the other way around
- FredPret 4y ago
  Then the government should intervene by fixing the government's terrible visa system
  - bmitc 4y ago
    That's partially my point, but it doesn't absolve these companies' participation in said system.
- Hamuko 4y ago
  Seems like a feature, not a bug, in the current US immigration policy.
- petodo 4y ago
  that's not really problem for US gov elected by US citizens and I say it as foreigner obviously if you come to work to foreign country and your visa is tied to job it's only natural it will be void after they fire you and it doesn't mean you can stay as long as you want, I was also kicked out from foreign country after my former employer went extra length to make my life difficult when moving to new company, had to leave country, to get new visa, so I could start new job
throwaway81523 4y ago
There is low unemployment because huge numbers of people have left the workforce due to health issues (long covid etc). This is not cyclical.
- KiranRao0 4y ago
  People have not left the labor force in the last few months. The labor force participation rate is still on a steady upward march since the initial lockdowns. Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-labor-force-participation-rate.htm https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-lab...
Yoric 4y ago
Note that layoffs are global and low unemployment rate is US-specific.
- _gvzl 4y ago
  It is not specific to the United States. In the Netherlands, the unemployment rate for some recent months has been the lowest since 2003.
  - Yoric 4y ago
    Interesting, thanks.

That ignores the problem that many H-1B holders will be forced to leave the country. It's in poor taste that these companies are doing this, as it could be the reason that a lot of solid talent leaves the U.S. The U.S. already lost a lot of talent during the pandemic.

riffraff 4y ago
That sucks for everyone involved, but as long as GDP grows, wages grow, unemployment goes down, it seems hard for the government to justify intervention to protect "those pesky foreigners". Yeah this might come back to bite them in the arse in the future but from a political point of view it seems unfeasible to do otherwise.
Simon_O_Rourke 4y ago
Totally agree, it's hard, but firing (or retaining) folks based on visa status is inherently unfair too. TBH, there should be some more reasonable period attached to most H-1B visas where holders are given six months to find a new job.
- WirelessGigabit 4y ago
  They have 60 days. But in reality that's not enough. And even then, applying while under H-1B puts you in a difficult position. You don't have that much choice, as your denial might result being out of status. Not to mention that companies might take advantage from it.
  - heleninboodler 4y ago
    This might sound like a weird, blunt question, but what's the practical real world implication for an H-1B holder with a good financial situation (12-18 months of survival runway) but a family (spouse, kids in school), and who loses their visa due to losing their job? What actually happens at 60 days? Is there a possibility of just keeping quiet and hoping to find a job before their situation is exposed, or is this super risky in terms of being deported if found out? Could they head back to their home country and start a job search while leaving the family in the house/school in the US? Or are they literally risking their spouse and kids ending up in an immigration detention center somewhere? What is the likelihood of it all being OK if they end up finding a job but had a gap in their immigration status? What is the likelihood that a minor blip upends everything for an otherwise highly employable person?
    - WirelessGigabit 4y ago
      So family (spouse, children) who are dependent on the other spouse's H-1B have the same problem. Once the status runs out the dependent status runs out too. After 60 days they need to leave. They MAY get caught, but the USA doesn't actively enforce overstayers on status. You'll run into problems when you want to re-enter the USA. And if you wish to stay, you cannot find a (legal) job because your employer needs to fill in an I-9, which will reveal the fact that you are out of status.
      - heleninboodler 4y ago
        So is it safe to leave the country but leave your spouse and kids behind, find a job, and then re-enter, or will this trigger detection of your spouse and kids overstaying?
        WirelessGigabit 4y ago
        As long as it is within the 60 day period I don't think so, but IANAL.
    - bmitc 4y ago
      When you change jobs under an H-1B, you have to apply for a transfer. It would be found out if you violated the visa terms.
farseer 4y ago
India needs this talent to come back. The H-1B holders will have no trouble finding a job back home, they are the best their country has to offer.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- FredPret 4y ago
  Why didn't India do enough to entice these people to stay in the first place? People own their countries, not the other way around
FredPret 4y ago
Then the government should intervene by fixing the government's terrible visa system
- bmitc 4y ago
  That's partially my point, but it doesn't absolve these companies' participation in said system.
Hamuko 4y ago
Seems like a feature, not a bug, in the current US immigration policy.
petodo 4y ago
that's not really problem for US gov elected by US citizens and I say it as foreigner obviously if you come to work to foreign country and your visa is tied to job it's only natural it will be void after they fire you and it doesn't mean you can stay as long as you want, I was also kicked out from foreign country after my former employer went extra length to make my life difficult when moving to new company, had to leave country, to get new visa, so I could start new job

throwaway81523 4y ago

There is low unemployment because huge numbers of people have left the workforce due to health issues (long covid etc). This is not cyclical.

KiranRao0 4y ago
People have not left the labor force in the last few months. The labor force participation rate is still on a steady upward march since the initial lockdowns. Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-labor-force-participation-rate.htm https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-lab...

Yoric 4y ago

Note that layoffs are global and low unemployment rate is US-specific.

_gvzl 4y ago
It is not specific to the United States. In the Netherlands, the unemployment rate for some recent months has been the lowest since 2003.
- Yoric 4y ago
  Interesting, thanks.