Dive Brief:
- Tech companies based in China are hoping President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed crackdown on immigration and hiring of non-American tech workers will mean they can attract and retain more tech talent for themselves, according to a CNBC report.
- Robin Li, CEO of Chinese e-commerce giant Baidu, told the audience at China's third annual World Internet Conference, "I truly hope that these excellent talents from various countries will migrate to China and help China play a more important role on the stage of global innovation."
- Trump has vowed to prioritize immigration issues and "direct the Department of Labor to investigate all abuses of visa programs that undercut the American worker."
Dive Insight:
China is hoping the U.S.’ losses will be its gain. Instead of watching its workers move to the U.S., China and other countries may find more talent available at home. And if tech truly proves to be a game changer in terms of business success, a U.S. plan to reduce H-1B talent could backfire unless the U.S. can figure out ways to quickly and more effectively train domestic tech talent.
The H-1B visa program brings 85,000 foreign skilled workers into the U.S. each year. A larger portion of those employees work in the tech industry.
