National Statistics: Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM)

• Science and Engineering (S&E) Labor Force Statistics - Highlights
• National Research and Development (R&D) Trends - Highlights
• Industry, Technology and the Global Marketplace - Highlights
• Public Attitudes and Understanding of Science and Technology (S&T) - Highlights
• Where Do STEM Bachelor's Graduates Get Their Degrees

2006 Science and Engineering (S&E) Labor Force Statistics - Highlights

Reference: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/c3/c3h.htm

• Between 1980 and 2000, the total number of S&E degrees earned grew at an average annual rate of 1.5%, which was faster than labor force growth, but less than the 4.2% growth of S&E occupations. S&E bachelor's degrees grew at a 1.4% average annual rate, and S&E doctorates at 1.9%.
• Approximately 12.9 million workers say they need at least a bachelor's degree level of knowledge in S&E fields in their jobs. However, only 4.9 million were in occupations formally defined as S&E.
• Unemployment in S&E occupations reached 4.6% in 2003, the highest level in the 22 years for which it has been calculated.
• The largest increases for recent bachelor's degree recipients were in engineering (34.1%), computer and mathematical sciences (28.0%), and life sciences (24.5%). Smaller increases were found for recent bachelor's degree recipients in social sciences (15.8%), physical sciences (9.5%), and non-S&E fields (7.7%).
• Twenty-nine percent of all S&E degree holders in the labor force are age 50 or over. Among S&E doctorate holders in the labor force, 44% are age 50 or over.
• Twenty-five percent of all college-educated workers in S&E occupations in 2003 were foreign born. Forty percent of doctorate degree holders in S&E occupations in 2003 were foreign born.
• Women were 12% of those in S&E occupations in 1980 and 25% in 2000. However, the growth in representation between 1990 and 2000 was only 3 percentage points.
• The number of women in academia (academic doctoral workforce) increased more than sevenfold between 1973 and 2003, from 10,700 to an estimated 78,500, raising their share from 9% to 30%.
• The representation of blacks in S&E occupations increased from 2.6% in 1980 to 6.9% in 2000. The representation of Hispanics increased from 2.0% to 3.2%. However, for Hispanics, this is proportionally less than their increase in the population.
• Although their numbers are increasing, underrepresented minorities-blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians/Alaska Natives-remain a small percentage of the S&E doctorate holders employed in academia.

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2006 National Research and Development (R&D) Trends - Highlights

References: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/c4/c4h.htm
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/c5/c5h.htm

• Universities and colleges have historically been the largest performers of basic research in the United States, and in recent years they have accounted for over half (55% in 2004) of the nation's basic research. Most basic research is federally funded.
• In 2003, the top 10 states in terms of R&D accounted for almost two-thirds of U.S. R&D. California alone accounted for more than one-fifth of the $278 billion of R&D that could be attributed to one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.
• In 2000, global R&D expenditures totaled at least $729 billion, half of which was accounted for by the two largest countries in terms of R&D performance, the United States and Japan.
• The federal government provided 62% of academic R&D expenditures in 2003, substantial growth from the 58% share of support provided in 2000. The federal share of support had been in decline since the early 1970s, when it reached a high of 69%.
• Academic Institutions themselves contributed 19% of R&D funds in 2003, compared with 11% in 1972.
• The life sciences (59% share in 2003), engineering (15% share), and the computer sciences (3% share) experienced R&D share increases. However, the engineering share declined between 1993 and 2003. The physical sciences (8% share in 2003); earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences (6% share); social sciences; and psychology (6% combined shares) had R&D share losses.
• After reaching a high of just above 7% in 1986, the share of R&D spent on equipment declined by about one-third to 4.5% in 2003. About 81% of equipment expenditures were concentrated in the life sciences (45%), engineering (20%), and the physical sciences (16%).
• As the faculty share of the academic workforce has declined, postdocs and others in full-time nonfaculty positions have become an increasing percentage of those doing research at academic institutions. This change was especially pronounced in the 1990s.
• The number of U.S. scientific publications remained essentially flat between 1992 and 2003, causing the U.S. share of world article output to decline from 38% to 30% between 1988 and 2003.
• The growing closeness of basic science and practical applications is also evident in the rising number of U.S. patents issued to U.S. academic institutions. The number of U.S. academic patents quadrupled from approximately 800 in 1988 to more than 3,200 in 2003. The increase in patents was highly concentrated in life sciences applications.

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2006 Industry, Technology and the Global Marketplace - Highlights

Reference: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/c5/c5h.htm

• High-technology manufacturing industries are key contributors to economic growth in the United States and around the world.
• The global market for high-technology goods is growing faster than that for other manufactured goods. Over the past 24 years (1980-2003), world output by high-technology manufacturing industries grew at an inflation-adjusted average annual rate of 6.4%. Output by other manufacturing industries grew at just 2.4%.
• The European Union (EU) and the United States were the leading producers of drugs and medicines in the world market for the entire 24-year period examined, each accounting for about 32% of global production in both 2002 and 2003.
• The EU and the United States were also the leading producers of scientific instruments. Led by Germany and France, the EU accounted for an estimated 38% of global production in 2003, while the U.S. share was nearly 35%.
• The EU and the United States were the leading producers of drugs and medicines in the world market for the entire 24-year period examined, each accounting for about 32% of global production in both 2002 and 2003.
• The EU and the United States were also the leading producers of scientific instruments. Led by Germany and France, the EU accounted for an estimated 38% of global production in 2003, while the U.S. share was nearly 35%.
• Throughout the 1990s and continuing through 2003, U.S. industry supplied 12%-14% of the world's general manufacturing exports. By comparison, during the 1990s, U.S. high-technology industries accounted for 19%-23% of world high-technology industry exports.
• Global sales in knowledge-intensive service industries rose every year from 1980 through 2003 and exceeded $14 trillion in 2003.
• The United States was the leading provider of knowledge-intensive services, responsible for about one-third of world revenue totals during the 24-year period examined.
• Recent patenting trends, a leading indicator of future competition for U.S. industry, show growing capacities for technology development in Asia and in a transitioning Europe.
• U.S. patenting of biotechnologies accelerated during the 1990s, especially during the latter half of the decade. The effort to map the human genome contributed to this trend as evidenced by a surge in applications to patent human DNA sequences. Since 2001, the number of biotechnology patents has remained high, but the trend has turned slightly negative.

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2006 Public Attitudes and Understanding of Science and Technology (S&T) - Highlights

Reference: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/c7/c7h.htm

• Although Americans express strong support for science and technology (S&T), most are not very well informed about these subjects. The public's lack of knowledge about basic scientific facts and the scientific process can have far-reaching implications.
• In the United States and other countries, most adults pick up information about S&T primarily from watching television, including educational and nonfiction programs, newscasts and newsmagazines, and even entertainment programs.
• The Internet is having a major impact on how the public gets information about S&T. In 2004, the Internet was the second most popular source of news about S&T, up from fourth place in 2001. The Internet is the preferred source when people are seeking information about specific scientific issues. In 2004, 52% of National Science Foundation survey respondents named the Internet as the place they would go to learn more about a scientific issue such as global warming or biotechnology, up from 44% in 2001.
• Television and other media sometimes miscommunicate science to the public by failing to distinguish between fantasy and reality and by failing to cite scientific evidence when it is needed.
• Surveys found that S&T ranked 10th of 14 categories of news followed most closely by the public in 2004. Very few Americans (about 10% of those surveyed) say they are not interested in S&T issues.
• S&T museums are much more popular in the United States than in other countries. The millions of people who visit science museums each year demonstrate interest in science without necessarily being interested in science-related news.
• Many people throughout the world cannot answer simple, science-related questions. Nor do they have an understanding of the scientific process. However, U.S. adults may be somewhat more knowledgeable about science than their counterparts in other countries, especially Russia and China. Although the U.S. survey has not shown much change over time in the public's level of knowledge about science, the most recent Eurobarometer does show an increase. The change occurred in almost all countries surveyed; Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands recorded double-digit increases between 1992 and 2005 in the percentage of correct responses to science literacy questions.
• Less than half the American population accepts the theory of evolution. Whether and how the theory of evolution is taught in public schools remains one of the most contentious issues in science education.
• Belief in various forms of pseudoscience is common in both the United States and other countries.
• Many people throughout the world cannot answer simple, science-related questions. Nor do they have an understanding of the scientific process. However, U.S. adults may be somewhat more knowledgeable about science than their counterparts in other countries, especially Russia and China.
• In 2004, 83% of Americans surveyed agreed that "even if it brings no immediate benefits, scientific research that advances the frontiers of knowledge is necessary and should be supported by the federal government." Support is also strong in Europe and Asia.
• Attitudes toward environmental protection have been shifting in recent years. In 2005, 53% of survey respondents viewed environmental protection as more important than economic growth, and 36% held the opposite view. The percentage choosing the environment rose 6 percentage points between 2003 and 2005, after declining steadily from a peak of 69% in 2000 to an all-time low of 47% in 2003.
• Most Americans know little about genetically modified food and related issues. Although attitudes are divided, opposition to introducing genetically modified food into the U.S. food supply declined between 2001 and 2004. However, the vast majority of Americans (and others) believe that genetically modified food should be labeled.
• Opposition to medical research that uses stem cells from human embryos has declined. In 2004, 36% of those surveyed said they were opposed to this type of research, down from 51% in 2002.
• Most people have never heard of nanotechnology. Americans are somewhat concerned about the risks, but most believe the benefits will outweigh the risks. The biggest concern is loss of privacy from tiny new surveillance devices.
• Since 2002, more people have expressed confidence in the leadership of the scientific community than in any other profession except the military.
• Scientists share (with doctors) the top spot in the Harris poll of occupations having the most prestige; engineers are about in the middle of this ranking. Most Americans say they would be happy if their son or daughter chose a career in science.

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Where Do STEM Bachelor's Graduates Get Their Degrees

Reference: https://www.cpst.org/STEM/STEM6_Report.pdf [.pdf]

• Large public institutions were the top producers of STEM bachelor's graduates in 2004. Overall, UCLA. followed by UC Berkeley and the University of Washington at Seattle, produced the most STEM baccalaureates in 2004.

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References for the data shared on this site:

Science and Engineering Indicators 2006, NSF
Website: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/

STEM Workforce Data Project: Report No. 6
Website: https://www.cpst.org/STEM/STEM6_Report.pdf [.pdf]