>why would an american with a high cost of living (result of policy choices) be expected to work for a mexican wage?
Because they're competing against Mexicans who will do the job at that wage, and probably automation and AI, and there is no universe in which American companies simply decide to spend more on local labor without commensurate benefit. It isn't any American employers' problem that the market has determined the value of US labor to be less than the cost of living, and not worth investing in.
Perhaps the company should relocate to india or mexico and enjoy their infrastructure, labor, crime, and culture as a single package. Did you already forget crowdstrike? How much did that cost? Seems like your numbers are missing the tail end risks of reducing standards because that is an externality. Maybe that's why immigration law isn't suppose to be written by companies.
Because they're competing against Mexicans who will do the job at that wage, and probably automation and AI, and there is no universe in which American companies simply decide to spend more on local labor without commensurate benefit. It isn't any American employers' problem that the market has determined the value of US labor to be less than the cost of living, and not worth investing in.