We need more H1B visas because of a shortage of highly skilled US scientists? Hogwash.

We have a huge surplus of biomedical scientists, and surpluses in other fields as well. As the article says, they rarely end up unemployed -- but often find jobs that don't make full use of their skills.

Companies want to hire more people on H1B visas so they can have even more scientists toiling at low wages for jobs that don't lead anywhere.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/09/16/343539024/too-few-university-jobs-for-americas-young-scientists


Whether she succeeds or not, she's part of a shadow workforce made up of highly qualified scientists who work long hours for comparatively little pay, considering their level of education: about $40,000 a year.

American science couldn't survive without this shadow labor force of some 40,000 postdocs. But only about 15 percent will get tenure-track jobs, heading a lab like the one where Hubbard-Lucey works today. This was not at all what she expected when she started down this path a decade ago.


"I remember [an adviser] saying, 'You know, funding is kind of tough now, but things are going to be better when you finish graduate school,' " Hubbard-Lucey recalls. She says her adviser assured her that the situation would improve, "so I said OK."

SNIP

There actually are jobs – in industry, consulting, government and other fields. Biomedical postdocs rarely end up unemployed. But many can't pursue their academic dreams, and they are often in their late 30s or even older before they realize that.

SNIP