Is there a shortage of STEM Jobs or STEM Workers?
The debate goes on.
For years now the battle cry has been, WE NEED QUALIFIED WORKERS! The STEM industries, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics, has claimed for years that there is a shortage of qualified American workers, while arguments on the other side claim we are graduating so many in these fields that they have to find jobs elsewhere.
Perhaps the clearest argument for a shortage is the fact that salaries in these fields continue to raise even as others flat-line or even drop. For example, software engineers saw a huge increase of 26% from 2000 to 2013, through some of the worst years in recent memory for many other industries.
On the other hand, there are those who argue that there are TOO MANY graduating in these fields and over half of them cannot find jobs when they graduate. While this clearly varies by specific industry, the argument that they have to take positions in other fields is quickly rebutted with the argument that a graduate with a computer degree who takes a management job is hardly worse off for his STEM degree, and it may still, in fact, be the reason he was hired.
No matter where the experts fall on the issue it would be hard to argue that you were better off without a STEM degree, and clearly the money is still in these jobs whether or not you agree there are enough of them to go around.
Some claim that too many of these jobs are going overseas when they ought to stay here. The companies looking to save money ship the jobs out claiming there are no qualified applicants in the States, while recent graduates struggle to find their desired jobs, and as many as 50% end up in “other industries.” This can in some cases even become a question of workplace discrimination. Being overlooked for the position simply because of your nationality, race or sex still regularly occurs in these industries and should not be ignored.
United Employees Law Group specializes in helping employees who face workplace problems from harassment to discrimination and wage violation. Call us today for a free consultation.