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Contact:  Eric Thomas, 202-822-9491

October 20, 2010

Weight of Evidence Shows EPI Study on H-1Bs and L-1 Visas is Inaccurate and Contradictory

Highly Educated, Foreign-Born Professionals Increase Opportunities and Wages for All, Create Jobs in America

Washington, D.C. – Compete America, a coalition dedicated to ensuring that the United States has the highly educated and innovative workforce necessary to grow the economy and create American jobs, today called a new Economic Policy Institute (EPI) study factually incorrect and ignorant of the tremendous contributions highly educated foreign-born professionals make to this country. 

In fact, a recent EPI study contradicts the arguments made in its latest report, concluding that, “the estimated effect of immigration from 1994 to 2007 was to raise the wages of U.S.-born workers.” (“Immigration and Wages: Methodological Advancements Confirm Modest Gains for Native Workers,” EPI Briefing Paper #255, February 4, 2010)

As Compete America has long maintained, the overwhelming weight of the evidence shows that highly educated foreign-born professionals benefit the U.S. economy.  A plethora of reports from well respected institutions make this conclusion, including:

“Ten Economic Facts About Immigration,” The Brookings Institution’s The Hamilton Project, September 2010

“Prosperous Immigrants, Prosperous Americans: How to Welcome the World’s Best Educated, Boost Economic Growth, and Create Jobs,” Center for American Progress, December 2009

“Regaining America’s Competitive Advantage: Making Our Immigration System Work,” U.S. Chamber of Commerce and ACIP, August 2010

“Why Immigrants Drive the Green Economy,” Immigration Policy Center, June 2010

“The Effect of Immigrants on U.S. Employment and Opportunity,” Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, August 2010

“H-1B Visas By the Numbers: 2010 and Beyond,” National Foundation for American Policy, March 2010

"There’s nothing new or surprising here.  EPI uses the same tired arguments that have been refuted time and time again by the nation’s most respected thought leading institutions,” said Compete America Co-Executive Director Jessica Herrera-Flanigan.  “The bottom line is that the weight of the evidence supports the conclusion that highly educated, foreign-born professionals create jobs and opportunities for all Americans, and our country should welcome, not turn them away.”

To learn more about the benefits of highly educated foreign professionals to the U.S. economy, visit www.competeamerica.org.

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Compete America (www.competeamerica.org) is a coalition of corporations, educators, research institutions and trade associations concerned about legal, employment-based immigration and committed to ensuring that the United States has the highly educated workforce necessary to ensure continued innovation, job creation and leadership in a worldwide economy.