I am disappointed that some in Congress are pushing for the FY2017 DHS appropriations bill to quadruple H-2B numbers to 264,000. Doing so would harm all American workers, especially lower-skilled and less-educated Americans. Please do all you can to ensure the FY2017 DHS appropriations bill doesn’t increase H-2B numbers.
As H-2B visas typically cover seasonal, entry-level, or unskilled jobs, these visas disproportionately harm young Americans. Increasing H-2B visa numbers would prevent thousands more young Americans from entering the workplace.
The most recent U-6 unemployment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show just how difficult it is for young Americans and less-educated Americans to find work. According to the BLS, 16.4% of young Americans (18-29) who have not graduated high school are unemployed. When only native-born Americans are taken into account, this figure jumps to 20.0%. Young Americans with only a high school diploma have a U-6 unemployment rate of 11.3% and young native-born Americans have a rate of 11.8%
Investigative reports have shown that businesses are more than willing to fire American workers when H-2B workers become available. It’s clear that the H-2B program, which is fraught with abuse, harms young Americans and should not be expanded. I urge you to oppose efforts to expand the program as part of the FY2017 DHS appropriations bill.
Phone me if you would like to talk about this,
Greg Raven, Apple Valley, CA
