Fed taps Xbox chief for productivity task force amid H-1B backlash

Asha Sharma, head of Microsoft's Xbox division, was named to a Federal Reserve task force on Productivity and Jobs amid backlash over 4,800 layoffs and approvals to hire 2,273 H-1B visa workers. Microsoft says the visa figures are company-wide renewals and not Xbox-specific. Critics argue the move favors foreign labor, while the Fed says the panel will evaluate tools and methods to improve employment and productivity as policymakers reassess approaches.