The American tech industry has seen a surge in layoffs, with estimates reaching over 80,000 as of July. The Labor Department’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification reports that Amazon has led corporate America in favor of foreign-born alternatives, with 31,817 Labor Condition Applications for H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 visas submitted in the second quarter of fiscal 2025. This data suggests that Microsoft has been paying 82% of its foreign workers less than the prevailing market rate for their positions.
The Labor Department has also revealed that 82% of Microsoft’s H-1B applications for 2025 have been for positions classified as Level I or II, entry or mid-level roles paid at or below the 34th wage percentile. This means that even if Microsoft were able to find Americans willing to work for less than they’re worth, it wouldn’t be required to make any attempt to hire them.
Younger Americans are increasingly concerned about the impact of labor importation on their lives, including employment, housing shortages, rising car insurance costs, and traffic congestion. Voters aged 18-21 sided with Republicans by a double-digit margin in Yale’s recent youth poll, largely due to these concerns. Mainstream politicos have been largely silent on this issue, possibly because they don’t want to offend their corporate patrons.
The media appears to be fully on board with this plan, with no news stories involving the Office of Foreign Labor Certification published within the last year returning zero results from outlets such as The New York Times, Washington Post, and NBC News.
