Author: Andrew Berger-Gross
Every job is important, and occupations of every stripe play a role in advancing the economy of North Carolina and the well-being of its residents. However, jobs that require science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related skills in particular have attracted strong interest from policy-makers in recent years. The U.S. Congress reauthorized the America COMPETES Act in 2010 to help advance education in STEM-related fields, and preparing today’s students for the STEM jobs of tomorrow has been a priority for leaders in North Carolina as well.
In this article, we build on previous research from the U.S. Census Bureau to learn more about how North Carolinians with college degrees that prepare them for employment in a STEM field have fared in the current labor market. To accomplish this we use the National Science Foundation’s definition of science and engineering (and related) majors and the federal Standard Occupational Classification Policy Committee’s definition of STEM (and related) occupations, and reference population data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.1
Bachelor’s degree holders with science and engineering as their primary major have done particularly well for themselves in our state. This group experienced very low unemployment rates—even lower than other college graduates—during a period that saw relatively pervasive joblessness.
Similarly, science and engineering grads who were employed at the time of the survey earned substantially more than other college graduates during this time period.
Neither of the above conclusions prove that the choice of major was the primary cause of these positive outcomes; for example, it is possible that the type of student that majors in science or engineering would have success in the labor market regardless of their field of degree. However, these graduates are far more likely to be employed in jobs that utilize STEM-related skills, which are more likely to face labor shortages in our state, thus making workers with STEM-related credentials a hot commodity in the labor market.
On the other hand, these data clearly show that the majority of science and engineering grads do not work in STEM-related fields. This is not necessarily a bad thing; the skills acquired by science and engineering majors might be applicable across a broad range of occupations. However, as we discussed in a previous article, stakeholders of all stripes have an interest in ensuring that workers are adequately matched to jobs that utilize their capabilities and allow them to achieve their full potential.
Determining where science and engineering grads who are not working in STEM-related fields are located may help reveal pockets of underutilized talent in our state. Economic developers looking to attract STEM-related industry may benefit from knowing which areas of the state have high concentrations of science and engineering grads employed outside their field (who, as a result, might be underemployed and willing to change jobs.)
Sections of Wake County contain among the lowest concentrations of underutilized science and engineering grads in the state. This is not surprising as the area is a STEM employment powerhouse; the Census Bureau previously found that the Raleigh-Cary metro area had the 3rd highest concentration of STEM employment in the country in 2011.
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General disclaimers:
Data sources cited in this article are derived from surveys and are subject to sampling and non-sampling error. Any mistakes in data management, analysis, or presentation are the author’s.
1 The designation of major is based on the primary major reported by survey participants, while the designation of occupation is based on the primary job reported. “Science and engineering” majors include several engineering, computer, math, life, physical, and social science majors, while “science and engineering-related” includes some health, education, technology, and other majors. “STEM” occupations include several life and physical science, engineering, math, information technology, and social science occupations, while “STEM-related” includes some architecture and health occupations. We combine three years of American Community Survey data—for years 2012, 2013, and 2014—in order to increase sample size and improve the precision of our estimates.