Outrage as Oracle files thousands of foreign-worker requests amid layoff bloodbath
Yahoo Finance • • business
Key Points:
- Oracle has laid off thousands of employees while simultaneously filing approximately 3,126 H-1B visa petitions to hire foreign tech workers for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, sparking outrage among U.S. workers.
- Amazon, which announced plans to cut 16,000 corporate jobs in January, also filed for about 2,675 H-1B petitions during the same period, fueling criticism of tech giants' hiring practices amid layoffs.
- Critics argue that these companies prioritize cheaper foreign labor over retaining experienced American employees, with some calling the practice disloyal to the U.S. workforce and nation.
- Oracle stated the layoffs were part of a broader organizational change and offered severance packages, while companies defend H-1B petitions as necessary to fill specialized roles not easily staffed locally.
- The surge in tech layoffs, including at Meta and others, is partly attributed to advancements in artificial intelligence, with the first quarter of 2026 seeing a 40% increase in tech job cuts compared to the previous year.
