Promoting Electrotechnology Careers and Public Policy

October 12, 1998

On behalf of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - United States of America, I urge you to oppose enactment of H.R. 3736, as a stand-alone or as part of the omnibus appropriations bill. Do not expand the H-1B high-tech guest-worker program!

• Earlier this year, the House Judiciary Committee concluded that the evidence that there is currently a shortage of information technology workers is inconclusive;

• Challenger, Gray and Christmas reports that high technology industries have cut four time as many jobs nationally in 1998 as they did in 1997, imposing more layoffs and hiring freezes than almost every other sector of the economy. Electronics, computer and telecommunications companies alone have fired 143,000 workers since January;

• Third quarter data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that unemployment among electrical and electronics engineers jumped to 3.4 percent -- an eight-fold increase since the beginning of 1998 and the highest rate since the record levels of 1994;

• A National Science Foundation study indicates that 50 percent more degreed scientists and engineers (4.7 million) are working outside of their fields than the total number of professionals in the nation's science and engineering workforce (3.2 million);

• An August 1998 survey of IT contracting and consulting firms by the Information Technology Association of America showed that "the overwhelming majority" have more programmers than they can use.

• A recent Harris poll conducted for IEEE-USA found that 82 percent of the adults surveyed oppose any increase in H-1B visa limits.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a transnational technical and professional society. IEEE-USA promotes the professional careers and technology policy interests of IEEE's 219,000 U.S. members.

Sincerely,

John R. Reinert
President
IEEE-USA

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - United States of America
2001 L Street, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036-5104
Office: (202) 785-0017 * Fax: (202) 785-0835 * E-mail: ieeeusa@ieee.org

(NOTE: This letter was also faxed to Senate Democratic leaders and to the chairs and ranking minority members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.)

| Top of Page | Policy Log | Public Policy Forum | IEEE-USA |

Last Update: Oct. 12, 1998

Staff Info Contact: Vin O'Neill, v.oneill@ieee.org