Vice President Vance criticized Microsoft for its hiring policies

The Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, targeted Microsoft during an event accusing the technology company of massively laying off American workers while continuing to request thousands of H-1B visas to hire foreign labor.

His remarks have ignited the debate about the future of the H-1B program in the United States, as companies continue to use this program, created solely for immigrants specialized in their field, as a way to obtain cheap, unskilled labor. 

Vance questioned both the economic logic and the ethics behind the mass layoffs at companies like Microsoft. 

''Laying off 9,000 workers and then saying they can't find talent in the United States makes no sense; that's a bullshit story,'' he stated bluntly.

His statements reflect the growing discontent with corporate practices that prioritize cost reduction by importing foreign talent  at the expense of local employment.

Microsoft plays dirty

The H-1B program allows American companies to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialized occupations,  such as engineers, doctors, IT professionals, etc. 

However, many critics rightly argue that the program has been exploited by large technology companies to lower wages and replace American workers with cheaper foreign ones.

The data supports this concern: Microsoft has laid off nearly 16,000 employees so far in 2025—7% of its workforce—while at the same time maintaining a high level of H-1B visa applications, having submitted 9,500 applications in the last fiscal year. 

In 2024, despite multiple rounds of layoffs, Bill Gates's company ranked seventh among companies with the most H-1B approvals, according to USCIS data.

The government considers a change in stance

The attitude of the technology giant has provoked outrage among sectors of society that see these actions as a way to circumvent the American labor market.

For Vance and other critics, this is corporate disloyalty that reflects how large corporations prioritize their profits over the well-being of the national working class.

Additionally, opponents of the H-1B program warn about the  negative impact on wages in the technology sector, since employers, with a constant flow of highly qualified foreign workers, avoid raising wages and improving working conditions. 

Vance's position also marks an evolution in the stance of the current Republican government. Although Donald Trump previously supported H-1B visas as a tool to attract the brightest workers, the new government approach focuses on protecting local employment.