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High-End Immigrants and the Shortage of Skilled Labor

Author

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  • Thomas J. Espenshade

    (Princeton University)

Abstract

The 1990 Immigration Act (IMMACT) responded to claims of an impending shortage of skilled labor in the United States (Johnston and Packer, 1987) and to growing concerns that the skill levels of immigrant workers were falling farther and farther behind those of natives (Borjas, 1990, 1994). IMMACT raised the annual number of employment-based permanent resident visas from 54,000 to 140,000 and created a new temporary-worker category (H-1B) to permit U.S. employers to recruit skilled workers from abroad for professional specialty occupations. The latter include, for example, computer programmers, engineers, medical professionals, and accountants.1 H-1B workers must have at least a bachelor?s degree or its equivalent, and they may remain in the United States for up to six years. In 1990 Congress decided to cap the number of newly admitted H-1B workers at 65,000 per year.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas J. Espenshade, 1999. "High-End Immigrants and the Shortage of Skilled Labor," Working Papers 320, Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Office of Population Research..
    • Handle: RePEc:pri:opopre:opr9905.pdf
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • K37 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Immigration Law
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure

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