The U.S. Science and Engineering Workforce

CRS – The U.S. Science and Engineering Workforce: Recent, Current, and Projected Employment, Wages, and Unemployment. John F. Sargent Jr., Specialist in Science and Technology Policy. May 6, 2013

“The adequacy of the U.S. science and engineering workforce has been an ongoing concern of Congress for more than 60 years. Scientists and engineers are widely believed to be essential to U.S. technological leadership, innovation, manufacturing, and services, and thus vital to U.S. economic strength, national defense, and other societal needs. Congress has enacted many programs to support the education and development of scientists and engineers. Congress has also undertaken broad efforts to improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills to prepare a greater number of students to pursue science and engineering (S&E) degrees. Some policymakers have sought to increase the number of foreign scientists and engineers working in the United States through changes in visa and immigration policies…In 2011, there were 5.9 million scientists and engineers employed in the United States, accounting for 4.6% of total U.S. employment. Science and engineering employment was concentrated in two S&E occupational groups, computer occupations (56%) and engineers (25%), with the rest accounted for by S&E managers (9%), physical scientists (4%), life scientists (4%), and those in mathematical occupations (2%). From 2008 to 2011 S&E employment increased by 99,550, rising to 5.9 million, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.6%, while overall U.S. employment contracted at 1.7% CAGR. Viewed only in aggregate, the overall increase in S&E employment masks the varied degrees of growth and decline in the detailed S&E occupations.”

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