Democratic-held congressional districts saw over three times the number of certified H-1B labor filings compared to those held by Republicans over the past decade, a new analysis of federal labor data shows. According to LayoffHedge, approximately 6.9 million certified Labor Condition Applications were mapped to current congressional districts. Democratic districts accounted for 5.17 million filings between fiscal 2015 and the second quarter of fiscal 2026. Republican districts reported 1.69 million filings, while four vacant districts contributed 56,596.
Though Democrats hold more filings overall, recent growth trends differ. The fastest-growing districts for H-1B filings, from fiscal 2019 to fiscal 2025, were all represented by Texas Republicans. The data tracks certified Labor Condition Applications, not visas issued or individual workers. A single application can cover multiple workers, and one worker might be associated with various filings.
LayoffHedge emphasized that filings indicate where employers plan to place work, not which party influences H-1B use. The report emerges amidst Trump administration efforts to restrict legal immigration pathways, including the H-1B program. Changes introduced include prioritizing higher-paid workers, imposing biometric screening fees on extensions, and proposing to eliminate a grace period for laid-off H-1B workers seeking new employment. A federal court halted a proposal to add a $100,000 fee for some overseas H-1B petitions.
Critics argue the H-1B program undermines American workers by replacing them or undercutting wages. Supporters, including tech executives and pro-business conservatives, claim access to skilled foreign workers boosts U.S. competitiveness. “H-1B gets debated nationally; our mapping shows where the work is,” a LayoffHedge spokesperson stated.
Democratic districts, particularly those in major tech and business hubs, dominate the filings. California’s 17th Congressional District, under Rep. Ro Khanna, leads with 323,966 filings. It is followed by New York’s 12th District, with 259,001 filings, and California’s 16th District with 233,165. The leading Republican district, Texas’ 4th, has 106,892 filings.
Newsweek sought comments from representatives of the leading districts. The 10 highest-ranking districts in total recorded 1,727,766 filings, surpassing the 1,694,909 filings from all 219 Republican-held districts. The concentration rather than typical filing levels seen across districts reflects the high numbers.
The Democratic total includes filings from the District of Columbia’s nonvoting delegate. When excluding D.C., 212 Democratic districts account for 5,133,801 filings. Vacant seats listed include districts in California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas, with upcoming special elections potentially affecting party classifications.
Filings were mapped to current congressional boundaries based on the party currently holding each seat. LayoffHedge used work site ZIP codes and Census geographic files, mapping 99.5 percent of records. Democratic-held districts tend to cluster in technology and business centers.
LayoffHedge also noted that IT outsourcing and staffing firms make up more filings in high-volume Republican than Democratic districts. This classifying data originates from LayoffHedge, not the Labor Department.
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