[egourlao]

Has the denial rate for all companies gone down? Or could it be that companies that were getting the most denials have submitted less petitions for H-1B workers?

Sponsoring an employee on an H-1B has become significantly harder in the past few years, especially because of the odds of the lottery decreasing year over year. Another theory could just be that with the increased cost and uncertainty of attempting to sponsor an employee on an H-1B, many companies are resorting to alternatives, clearing the field for companies that have a more genuine need for H-1B workers.