Anyone know what percentage of programmers on American soil are foreigners?

[VIAN]

I was having an arguement with this btch about it. She said around 90% and up. And I said that couldn't be possible. Anyone have any idea and can back it up.

 

[notfred]

Probably less than 25%. In my university computer science classes, maybe 1/3 of people or so are foreign, but many of them will return home when they graduate to work in thier home countries.

At work, we only have a couple programmers and they're all American.

 

[Nothinman]

I haven't done a head count, but where I work I would say it's probably 50/50 for programmers and probably like 80/20 (in favor of the middle-eastern people) for DBAs.

 

[kamper]

In my first job, I was one of two or three that hadn't (out of 10 or so) come from Russia in the past 10 years. The owner, who used to program but focuses on the business aspect now, was Brazilian Portugese. All were very good coders. At my second job I think everyone was a life-long Canadian (around 30 in the entire company). Where I work now there is the odd Indian and a few from Russia/Eastern Europe. Most are Canadian though.

 

[Fistandantilis]

the real question is "How many other countries are doing our programming" think about that one. you'll see that isreal and other normally third world countries are getting alot of our work sent to them, is this a bad thing?

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: Fistandantilis
the real question is "How many other countries are doing our programming" think about that one. you'll see that isreal and other normally third world countries are getting alot of our work sent to them, is this a bad thing?

I won't comment on if it's a "bad thing" or the technical merits, but what it comes down to is market economics. If North American programmers don't want to lose their jobs we just have to buck up and provide better value to the companies requiring the software, either by improving technically or working for less. Any other response would be placing artificial limits on real trade (except encouraging proper human rights in the other countries, if the work is being done in unfair conditions. I've got no problem with that).