H-1B visa holders do not harm US workers and are associated with lower unemployment, according to a report released Monday by the National Foundation for American Policy, a nonpartisan research organization.
“The results indicate that H-1B visa holders do not adversely affect US workers. On the contrary, many of the results point to lower unemployment rates and faster earnings growth among college graduates, including recent college graduates,” according to the report.
“Further, the results suggest that, if anything, being in a field with more H-1B visa holders makes it more likely that US-born young college graduates work in a job closely related to their college major.”
H-1B visa holders don’t have a negative impact because the program causes some employers to expand the number of jobs to US workers, the report said. If employers are not able to use H-1B workers, they may move positions overseas, reducing work for US workers.
The report comes as the US weighs further restrictions on visa holders.
A second report released by the organization found that the unemployment rate for workers in computer occupations declined to 2.8% in April from 3% in January.