Foreign students, who seek jobs in America after graduation from universities here, are finding out prospects of employment are not very promising.

The New York Times reported that years of a downsizing economy have adversely affected the job market. Companies find it difficult to justify employing foreign students on work visas known as the H1-B at the cost of local workers.

Trudy Steinfeld, executive director of career services at New York University, was quoted as saying that there are fewer companies hiring foreign students. The reduction in the number of the H1-B visas from 195,000 a year during the technology boom to 65,000 now has made the job market for foreign students tighter. He said while most American students could spend between two and six months to search for a job, international students should be prepared for up to 10 months.