IP: SKILLED IMMIGRANTS NEEDED FOR HIGH-TECH WORK

[David Farber <farber@central.cis.upenn.edu>]

SKILLED IMMIGRANTS NEEDED FOR HIGH-TECH WORK
A letter to Congress from Microsoft CEO Bill Gates (cosigned by CEOs of
Hewlett Packard, Intel, Sun, and Texas Instruments) says:  "The availability
of computer and software engineers on a timely basis is critical to our
business success.  Delays in design, development and production mean a loss
of market share that may never be recaptured."  The CEOs are worried about
immigration laws that would deprive them of skilled labor.  Microsoft's
labor force is 5-7% foreign-born.  An emigration expert at the Carnegie
Endowment Fund observes that companies are perfectly capable of moving
operations offshore if the talent they need is denied them.  (Financial
Times 7/8 Oct 95 p9)