Army. Navy. and Ala Forco has warned that the current severe understaffing could lead to inflation and lower productivity and threaten Americas competitiveness. And In the last two years. difficulties finding workers. economic growth and tile globalization of business has led to a dramatic increase in the use of HlB visas foa skilled foreignborn professionals. The situation has changed so swiftly that the allotment of these visas will be exhausted an astounding four to five months before the end of this fiscal year. The recent General Accounting Office report is little more than sn Insidethebeltway squabble over how to measure shortages that ignores the real marketplace. The GAO report focused on one study by the Commerce Department. a study that was not even raised by witnesses at a recent Senate Judiciary Comnmitt.ee hearing on HlB visas. In turn. the Commerce Department has responded by criticizing GAO for doing a report that "contains several inauculracies." The GAO acknowledges It "did not perform aay indepundent analysis to determine whether a shortage of IT workers exists in the United States" but merely crItiqued the methodology of a Commerce Depalrt.ment study. a critique the Commerce Departmont critiques. In fact. the GAO does not question that the U.S. economy will create more than 190.000 jobs a year in information technology over the next decade.