The large increase in unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by individual changes in behavior and government policies, have prompted the Trump administration to consider suspending many temporary work visa programs. Among those visa programs on the chopping block is the H-1B visa for skilled foreign workers. In 2019, two‐thirds of migrants received the H-1B visa to work in computer‐related occupations with … Continue reading H-1B Workers Helping Save Jobs During COVID-19 Recession
Category: Economy
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell highlighted during a recent Senate Banking Committee hearing that the “best way the Federal Reserve can help reduce racial inequality is to return the U.S. labor market to its pre-coronavirus strength.” Indeed, ensuring a thriving job market by advancing economic freedom is the key fundamental element of reducing poverty, dependence on … Continue reading Time to Revitalize America’s Economic Freedom
It’s been 11 weeks since Congress passed the CARES Act, which, among its many other provisions, established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Nearly three‐quarters of U.S. small businesses have so far availed themselves of this program. But it turns out that fewer small businesses got a PPP loan in the states hardest‐hit by the Covid‐19 pandemic than elsewhere. … Continue reading Paycheck Protection Program: Who Lent to Whom, and Where?
On June 22, President Trump banned the skilled worker categories including the H-1B for newly hired skilled professionals. My colleagues and I have already laid out numerous issues with this decision (here, here, here, here, and here). But the proclamation text appears to betray a confusion about basic economic statistics. In his proclamation, the president states: Certain nonimmigrant visa programs authorizing such employment … Continue reading Trump’s H-1B Ban Based on a Misreading of Economic Statistics
It’s an election year, so it must be time for some grandiose infrastructure proposals. Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has come out with a $494 billion five‐year transportation proposal, which is a huge boost from Congress’ 2015 five‐year spending package of $305 billion. Congress writes a new highway & transit package about every five … Continue reading Trump’s $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan
Even before our nationwide COVID-19 panic attack, we were heading for yet another trillion dollar deficit. Before the dust settled, 30 million Americans had filed for unemployment, those fortunate enough to have jobs were figuring out how to work from home, and nearly everyone was left wondering whom to trust given the ever-shifting medical advice … Continue reading (Un) Happy Deficit Day, America
President Trump announced yesterday that he would suspend several foreign worker programs for the remainder of the year. These visas include the J-1, L-1, H-1B, and H-2B. The president claims that the suspensions are necessary to protect jobs for Americans, but the fact is that these programs create jobs for Americans, and eliminating them will undermine job … Continue reading Foreign Worker Programs That Trump’s Order Targets Create Jobs for Americans
It is common to hear social media figures and pundits deride censorship on social media and other technology platforms. As I wrote in Towards Data Science, this threat is very real, especially during the COVID-19 public health crisis. However, the exaggeration of the threat plays into our society’s growing fondness for “grievance culture.” The story … Continue reading Is Private Internet Censorship Unconstitutional?
The Trump Administration has just issued an proclamation that will restrict the issuance of many temporary economic migrant work visas. The proclamation will go into effect on June 24 at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time. The visas affected are the H-1B visa for skilled temporary migrant workers, the H-2B visa for temporary lower‐skilled non‐agricultural employment, most J visas, and L visas for intracompany transfers. … Continue reading Trump’s Cancellation of Work Visas Will Hurt American Economy
Here’s a question for public policy: If you could cut the COVID-19 death rate in half, would you do it? Policymakers could do that, if they act accordingly by greatly increasing testing of both residents and staff at nursing homes and other extended care facilities, the hottest of hot spots for coronavirus deaths. By now, … Continue reading Focusing Public Policy on Nursing Homes Could Cut COVID-19 Deaths by Half
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