Americans overwhelmingly want their next President to stem the outsourcing of jobs overseas, instead of making it easier for immigrants to live and work in the US, according to the latest America at Work survey by the Employment Law Alliance (ELA), an integrated global network of independent law firms specialising in employment and labour law.

The poll, based on a sampling of 1,125 working Americans over a five-day period last week, is believed to be the only national survey to date focusing exclusively on the kind of workplace-related issues that will confront the next President.

Among numerous findings, the results suggest that 86% of Americans want their next President to make it harder for companies to outsource US jobs to foreign countries. This high percentage suggests that similar sentiments expressed by both Democrat candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, have found many willing listeners in the American heartlands grappling with the credit crunch in the wake of the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

Less than half of those polled said they are concerned about any focus on immigration issues. Percentages range from 40% favouring making it easier for professionals to work in the US to 25% granting amnesty for illegal aliens.

The US, it seems, favours closing the door and battening down the hatches to weather the economic storm, and the public do not see closer alliances with Asian economies or importing skilled workers from overseas as having much bearing on economic prosperity.

This contrasts with recent speeches by prime minister Gordon Brown who has stressed the importance of closer ties with India and China. At the same time, however, changes to UK immigration law have moved the UK closer to the Australian points system, which some UK employment lawyers believe could make the UK less attractive to skilled overseas professionals wanting to work in the UK

Workers were split along racial lines regarding views on workplace issues and immigration reform. For example, 55% of non-whites support relaxing immigration laws for professionals versus just 36% among whites. Geographically, 46% of workers in Western states (the heart of high-tech America) thought the President should make increasing legal immigration a priority compared to a low of 25% among Midwestern workers.

The survey was conducted prior to the Pennsylvania primary on April 22nd to help provide context to a broad range of workplace issues, so expect outsourcing and immigration to figure prominently in Clinton's campaign speeches in particular.

Stephen J. Hirschfeld, CEO of ELA, said: "The President is the chief executive officer of the country and here we have Americans telling their next CEO what they think should be on his or her agenda when it comes to working men and women."