In a recent revelation, high-paying job opportunities at some of the United States' leading companies have been reportedly channeled primarily towards foreign applicants, leaving qualified American workers sidelined. The new initiative, Jobs.Now, is stepping in to address this by bringing to light the concealed Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) positions and making them accessible to U.S. job seekers.
The initiative took root after independent investigators discovered a pattern where certain employers would post job listings in less noticeable online spaces or in minor Sunday print editions, deliberately omitting them from their official career portals. According to Jobs.Now, this practice of "dual-track recruiting" meets the bare minimum of the Department of Labor's requirements for PERM jobs while effectively keeping these positions within reach for foreign workers only.
The organization argues that by hiding these listings, companies prevent American workers from accessing well-paid roles and create a paper trail that shields them from regulatory scrutiny. PERM certifications are granted to U.S. employers to hire foreign workers on a permanent basis, provided they can prove that no qualified, willing, and available American workers can fill the role. This process was designed by the Department of Labor to protect domestic employees' wages and working conditions.
For transparency, employers must advertise job openings on state workforce websites, internal company listings, and in at least two major newspapers. Jobs.Now is on a mission to ensure Americans are considered first for high-skilled positions. They assert, "We think American workers are the greatest workers in the world, and we exist to make sure they get the chance to be considered for every job first!"
The platform compiles hidden PERM postings from across the country, offering a user-friendly interface for domestic applicants and guidance on how to apply directly to hiring teams. Notably, several high-profile tech companies have been called out by Jobs.Now for allegedly bypassing standard hiring procedures. For instance, at Samsara, a technology company valued at billions of dollars, applicants found themselves directed to submit resumes to the immigration team instead of to HR.
Pinterest also came under fire for a Senior Tech Program Manager position with a $247,000 annual salary, which was advertised only on a third-party website and not on its official career page. Other major firms, including OpenAI and Instacart, have been accused of posting job openings in publications like the San Francisco Chronicle and directing applicants to their global mobility or immigration departments, bypassing standard HR channels.
Since its inception, Jobs.Now has helped applicants submit resumes for over 35,000 positions at more than 1,000 companies. The initiative began after noticing employers allegedly skirting labor laws, especially concerning H-1B visas and other foreign worker programs. "We were tired of seeing companies hire H-1Bs for ordinary jobs that Americans could do," the group stated.
Experts consulted by Jobs.Now suggest that by circumventing standard posting requirements, corporations can effectively exclude domestic workers from lucrative job opportunities while appearing to comply with federal regulations. "This system has been weaponized against American workers," a Jobs.Now representative told Newsweek. "Americans are not aware that major companies are routinely discriminating against them for the simple fact of being Americans in their own country."
The Jobs.Now platform reflects a growing concern among labor advocates regarding the accessibility of skilled jobs for domestic workers, particularly in tech and other rapidly expanding industries that increasingly tap into foreign labor programs. Supporters believe this effort is a proactive step towards reinstating fairness and transparency in the hiring process, granting Americans direct access to jobs for which they are eminently qualified.
