Washington -– A compromise over visas for highly skilled workers has pleased many Connecticut companies –- and has angered labor unions.
The Senate Judiciary Committee agreed to allow the number of highly skilled foreign workers admitted to the country each year to rise from 65,000 to 110,000, with the possibility of a further increase to 180,000, depending in part on unemployment levels.
“Raising the current 65,000 cap on H1-Bs would be helpful to companies like us, with a significant technology focus,” said David Lebowitz, an attorney with the human resources department at Stamford-based Pitney Bowes.
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Matthew Nemerson, who has taken leave as head of the Connecticut Technology Council to run for mayor of New Haven, said many companies in the state are grappling with the issue.
He said they would prefer to retrain American workers for high tech jobs, either by sending them back to school or new incentives for on-the-job training.
But he concedes other have no choice but to look for foreign workers because they can’t find qualified U.S. workers or any who want to relocate to Connecticut.
“There are definitely two different camps, two different points of view,” he said.
The full text of Ana Radelat’s article from the CT Mirror can be found here.Related articles
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