Why is it so hard to find a job now? Enter Ghost Jobs

I have to put out a ghost job req and interview every person applying within reason for every green card a direct report is applying for. I have to show there are or aren’t any residents or citizens that can fill the job

The main problem is: even if the interviewee knocks it out of the park, is an amazing engineer, I still am not interested in firing my OPT/h1b team member who can still legally work for 2-3 years. So while I will deny their green card application and not submit it, I also won’t hire the interviewee

This will than probably change with the new American government and its anti-immigration stance. Less h1b, less ghost jobs.

Unlikely. "Staple a Green Card to their diploma" is what Trump had to say about students from other countries that graduate from US universities. Since out of country students pay the highest tuition rates, universities love them and give them preferential admissions. Though not as bad as elementary and high schools, universities suffer from grade inflation and are reluctant to kick out paying customers, especially those paying the highest tuition. As a consequence, academic standards are being reduced at a rapid rate.

If you want to come to the US to get a professional job, attending a US university instead of a domestic one is going to be worth the extra cost when it guarantees you a Green Card.

There might be a reduction in the flow of low skilled labor, especially for those looking to hire workers without legal status, but up the middle class portion of the labor market, expect the system to continue to favor cheap imported labor over domestic labor.

STEM grad student tuition is paid by government grants