Scientist or Engineer?

If you're a scientist or engineer, your employment prosepects are, on average, looking bright.

According to the April 2008 Report from the National Science Foundation, "the overall unemployment rate of scientists and engineers in the United States dropped from 3.2% in 2003 to 2.5% in 2006, according to data from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT). This is the lowest unemployment rate measured by SESTAT since the early 1990s. It continues a trend of lower unemployment rates for scientists and engineers compared with unemployment rates in the rest of the U.S. economy. Comparable unemployment rates for the entire U.S. labor force in 2003 and 2006 were 6.0% and 4.7%, respectively."

Other report highlights include:

• Overall unemployment rate of scientists and engineers in the United States dropped from 3.2% in 2003 to 2.5% in 2006


• Total number of scientists and engineers in the U.S. grew by almost 1 million between 2003 and 2006


• Rates dropped for most S&E occupations and for individuals at all degree levels and varied by occupation


• Unemployment rates dropped for all degree levels


• Scientists and engineers in the U.S. totaled 22.6 million in 2006, almost half of them women (45%)


• Most scientists and engineers were married or lived in a marriage-like relationship


• The vast majority of scientists and engineers in the United States were U.S. citizens


• The business/industry sector employed the largest share of scientists and engineers (69.4%), followed by educational institutions (18.8%) and government (11.8%)