IEEE-USA H-1B Press Release

Date: Friday, February 07, 2003 12:55 PM

H-1B and JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER

www.ZaZona.com

http://www.ieeeusa.org/releases/2003/020603pr.html

Contact: Chris McManes
Marketing Communications/Public Relations Coordinator
Phone: +1 202 785 0017, x8356
E-mail: c.mcmanes@ieee.org

U.S. Continues to Grant H-1B Visas
Despite Record Unemployment

WASHINGTON (06 February 2003) According to the U.S. Department of
Labor, 120,000 electrical engineers and computer scientists were
unemployed in the fourth quarter of 2002. Despite this and other high
levels of unemployment, 79,100 first-time H-1B visas were issued to
non-U.S. citizens in fiscal year 2002, which ended 30 September. Add
this to the 215,000 extensions and initial visas granted in exempt
categories such as nonprofits, laboratories and colleges, and the
number swells to more than 294,000.

"When so many American workers are unemployed, I believe it's time for
Congress to lower the H-1B visa quota back to 65,000 from its current
level of 195,000. This will happen automatically if no new legislation
is approved," IEEE-USA President Jim Leonard said. "The large pool of
guest workers makes it much more difficult for skilled U.S. workers to
find jobs."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 26,000 electrical and
electronics engineers (EEs) were unemployed in the fourth quarter, as
were 94,000 computer scientists, which includes systems analysts. The
unemployment rate for EEs dipped slightly from the third quarter, 3.9
percent vs. 4.0 percent, but rose for computer scientists, from 4.6
percent to 5.1 percent.

For 2002, the quarterly average of 29,000 unemployed EEs and 89,000
out-of-work computer scientists was the highest figure ever for the
individual groups. Unemployment among EEs more than doubled from 2.0
percent in 2001 to 4.2 percent in 2002. For computer scientists the
rate jumped from 3.4 percent to 5.0 percent. The EE unemployment rate
has more than tripled since 2000, when it stood at 1.3 percent; and
more than doubled among computer scientists (2.0 percent).

Despite a grim job outlook for the U.S. high-tech workforce, industry
has petitioned, and government has granted 799,700 new or renewal H-1B
visas in the past two years. This includes 163,600 new visas in 2001
and 342,000 in exempt categories. And when FY '02 ended, another 18,000
new H-1B applications were pending.

IEEE-USA is an organizational unit of The Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers created in 1973 to promote the careers and
public-policy interests of the more than 235,000 electrical,
electronics, computer and software engineers who are U.S. members of
the IEEE. The IEEE is the world's largest technical professional
society. For more information, go to http://www.ieeeusa.org.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. United
States of America
1828 L Street, N.W., Suite 1202
Washington, DC 20036-5104
Phone: 202-785-0017, Fax: 202-785-0835

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