There are limits to the benefit, as some types of labor are in short supply (such as computer programmers and nurses in rural areas).

FORBES: Economic Forecast Update, 2013-2014: Light-to-moderate Growth

On that day, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is scheduled to start accepting applications for the limited supply of H-1B visas, which allow businesses to employ foreign workers with special skills such as teachers, scientists and computer programmers for an initial period of up to three years.

FORBES: Immigration On A Very Fast Track: The Race For H-1B Visas

They are also producing professional-services firms such as Tata Consulting Services and Infosys that take fresh graduates and turn them into world-class computer programmers and consultants.

ECONOMIST: A university degree no longer confers financial security

Indeed, some computer languages, such as the Unified Modelling Language ( see article), have been developed specifically to help programmers do their jobs.

ECONOMIST: TEAM SPIRIT: Agility counts | The