FY2025 H-1B filings · ACS 2024 · unemployed only

Could Americans fill these jobs?

Could unemployed Americans fill most H-1B jobs? We compare new H-1B positions with unemployed Americans who had the same job, from federal data.

This page counts only the unemployed.

It does not count the underemployed. Underemployed means two groups. Some are degree holders in jobs below their skills. Others work part time but want full-time work. The page also does not count people who gave up the search for work, or employed workers who could change jobs. The real pool of American workers is larger than any count on this page.

What the filings show

62.4%

of filings are at DOL wage Level I or II. DOL uses these levels for entry and qualified workers. Levels III and IV are for experienced workers.

33.1%

of filings are for new hires. The other filings extend, amend, or move the jobs of H-1B workers who already work in the U.S.

74.6%

of filings are in 20 occupations. These occupations are large, so the survey counts for them are precise.

539,444 certified H-1B LCA filings, FY2025.

The unemployed only: two ways to count

Measure 2 · by position

62.7%

of new H-1B positions could go to unemployed Americans who had the same job.

Unemployed, all U.S.62.7%177,810 of 283,541

Unemployed, worked in the last 12 months45.9%130,216 of 283,541

Unemployed, same state as the job27.2%77,057 of 283,541

┆ 50% line

Example: software developers. There were 77,096 new H-1B positions. At least 50,670 unemployed Americans had this job. So the unemployed alone could fill 65.7% of these positions.

In each occupation, we count the smaller of two numbers: new H-1B positions, or unemployed Americans who had that job. We use the low end of the 90% margin of error. We added this measure after we saw Measure 1. It was not in the published rules.

Measure 1 · by occupation · published rules

21.9%

of filings are in occupations where unemployed Americans can fill all new H-1B positions.

Unemployed, all U.S.21.9%118,166 of 539,245

Unemployed, worked in the last 12 months20.2%109,112 of 539,245

Unemployed, same state as the job11.6%62,444 of 539,245

┆ 50% line

An occupation counts only if the unemployed can fill all of its new H-1B positions. So software developers count as zero, although the unemployed could fill 65.7% of them.

The unemployed alone can fill all new H-1B positions in 227 of 318 occupations. We use the low end of the 90% margin of error.

Neither measure counts the underemployed. The real pool of American workers is larger than either number.

The 20 occupations with the most filings

Occupation	H-1B filings	Share	New H-1B positions	Unemployed, bachelor's+	Could fill	Passes
Software developers	170,843	31.7%	77,096	56,247±5,577	65.7%	No
Computer occupations, all other	47,561	8.8%	19,322	16,055±3,104	67.0%	No
Other mathematical science occupations	35,822	6.6%	18,203	10,143±1,874	45.4%	No
Software quality assurance analysts and testers	18,645	3.5%	6,856	2,992±920	30.2%	No
Electrical and electronics engineers	14,986	2.8%	13,649	3,902±1,124	20.4%	No
Computer programmers	13,460	2.5%	5,325	6,334±1,308	94.4%	No
Computer systems analysts	12,958	2.4%	4,854	12,421±2,227	100.0%	Yes
Computer and information systems managers	12,626	2.3%	3,045	14,680±2,739	100.0%	Yes
Postsecondary teachers	11,703	2.2%	5,764	23,388±3,184	100.0%	Yes
Database administrators and architects	11,699	2.2%	3,356	2,779±1,076	50.7%	No
Other physicians	10,590	2.0%	5,485	6,167±1,574	83.7%	No
Industrial engineers, including health and safety	10,428	1.9%	4,849	2,782±895	38.9%	No
Mechanical engineers	10,171	1.9%	4,061	4,100±1,499	64.0%	No
Accountants and auditors	9,492	1.8%	5,007	29,778±3,621	100.0%	Yes
Financial and investment analysts	7,625	1.4%	5,127	5,291±1,014	83.4%	No
Operations research analysts	7,490	1.4%	3,243	2,431±985	44.6%	No
Biological scientists	6,991	1.3%	3,393	1,941±886	31.1%	No
Management analysts	6,368	1.2%	7,561	27,951±3,418	100.0%	Yes
Civil engineers	5,768	1.1%	2,697	5,112±1,154	100.0%	Yes
Network and computer systems administrators	5,312	1.0%	3,050	1,888±827	34.8%	No

Limits

The test counts only the unemployed. It does not count the underemployed or people who gave up the search for work.
A past job in an occupation does not prove that a person can do a specific job. The data does not measure seniority, specialty, or pay expectations.
An LCA is not a visa. Employers do not fill every new position.
The unemployed count is for one point in time. Over a full year, more people spend time without work. So the test counts fewer people than the full labor pool.
The ACS data is for calendar year 2024. The LCA data is for fiscal year 2025, from October 2024 to September 2025.
The test does not count employed workers who could change jobs.
The survey counts all U.S. residents. Some of the people in the count are not U.S. citizens.

We published the Measure 1 rules in a separate commit before we ran the test. Read the method and the full results on GitHub.

Sources: DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data, FY2025. U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 1-year microdata (PUMS).