NCSES REPORT ON MINORITIES IN POSITION

Report FROM NCSES WEBSITE

https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf23315/report

Executive Summary

A diverse workforce provides the potential for innovation by leveraging different backgrounds, experiences, and points of view. Innovation and creativity, along with technical skills relying on expertise in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), contribute to a robust STEM enterprise. Furthermore, STEM workers have higher median earnings and lower rates of unemployment compared with non-STEM workers. This report provides high-level insights from multiple data sources into the diversity of the STEM workforce in the United States.

Key Takeaways

STEM Workforce

  • The U.S. STEM workforce gradually diversified between 2011 and 2021, with increased representation of women and underrepresented minorities—Hispanics or Latinos, Blacks or African Americans, and American Indians or Alaska Natives.
  • In 2021, among people ages 18 to 74 years, women made up half (51%) of the total U.S. population and about a third (35%) of people employed in STEM occupations.
  • In 2021, nearly a quarter (24%) of individuals in the U.S. workforce were employed in STEM occupations.
  • Hispanic workers represented 15% of the total STEM workforce in 2021, and Asian and Black workers were 10% and 9%, respectively. American Indians and Alaska Natives together made up less than 1% of the U.S. population and STEM workforce in 2021.
  • In 2021, among female STEM workers, 68% had science and engineering (S&E)–related jobs (health care workers, S&E managers, S&E precollege teachers, and technologists and technicians); women represented nearly two-thirds (65%) of workers in S&E-related occupations.
  • In 2021, nearly two-thirds (63%) of Hispanic individuals in STEM jobs worked in middle-skill occupations (jobs that require considerable STEM skills and expertise but do not typically require a bachelor’s degree for entry); among those in middle-skill occupations, 24% were Hispanic.
  • In 2020, women had lower median earnings than men in S&E, S&E-related, and middle-skill occupations.
  • In 2020, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native STEM workers had lower median earnings than White or Asian STEM workers.
  • Persons with a disability who worked part time in an S&E-related occupation in 2021 reported wanting to work full time at about twice the rate of those without a disability (28% vs. 15%).

STEM Workforce and Education

  • Nearly two-thirds (65%) of women working in STEM jobs in 2021 had at least a bachelor’s degree education, compared with less than half (43%) of men in STEM jobs.
  • Among the college-educated workforce in S&E occupations in 2021, women’s representation ranged from 61% of social and related scientists to 16% of engineers.
  • In 2021, about two-thirds (65%) of STEM workers with at least one disability had less than a bachelor’s degree education.
  • Underrepresented minorities—Hispanic, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native individuals—made up a higher share of the skilled technical workforce (32%) in 2021 than of workers who were employed in STEM occupations with at least a bachelor’s degree (16%).

S&E Degrees

  • Hispanic, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native persons collectively account for 37% of the U.S. population ages 18–34 years in 2021 and 26% of S&E bachelor’s, 24% of S&E master’s, and 16% of S&E doctoral degrees earned by U.S. citizens and permanent residents in 2020.
  • At the associate’s level only, Hispanic students earned a higher share of S&E degrees among U.S. citizens and permanent residents in 2020 (32%), relative to the Hispanic share of the college-age population (22%).
  • Black students had higher representation among the U.S. citizens and permanent residents in the social and behavioral sciences, earning 12% of bachelor’s degrees in these fields in 2020, relative to 5% of bachelor’s degrees in engineering.
  • The number of S&E degrees earned by women between 2011 and 2020 increased by 63% at the associate’s level, 34% at the bachelor’s level, 45% at the master’s degree level, and 18% at the doctorate level.
  • In 2020, women earned 66% of bachelor’s, 67% of master’s, and 60% of doctoral degrees in the social and behavioral sciences.
  • In 2020, women were underrepresented among degree recipients at all degree levels in physical and earth sciences, mathematics and computer sciences, and engineering.
  • Among S&E doctorate recipients in 2021, individuals earning degrees in psychology and social sciences had the highest rate of disability (13%) and those in engineering had the lowest rate (8%)

PART 2

Overview

The U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce fuels innovation and provides important contributions to the nation. New advancements and discoveries in science and technology are rapidly changing the world of work and increasing the demand for technically skilled employees. As this demand has increased, so has the number of STEM workers. In 2021, 34.9 million people worked in STEM occupations, up from 29.0 million in 2011. Today, nearly a quarter (24%) of the U.S. workforce is employed in STEM occupations.

Representation of different groups based on sex, race or ethnicity, and disability status varies within the STEM workforce, and representation in STEM occupations is uneven relative to the distribution of these groups in the working age population. Women, persons with disabilities, and persons from some racial and ethnic minority groups—Hispanic or Latino, Black or African American, and American Indian or Alaska Native—are underrepresented in the STEM workforce when compared to their share of the total population. In 2021, women made up half (51%) of the total population ages 18 to 74 years and about a third (35%) of those employed in a STEM occupation (figure 1-1). Although 9% of the population had one or more disabilities at that time, 3% of those who work in STEM occupations did. When combined, Hispanics, Blacks, and American Indians or Alaska Natives—collectively referred to as underrepresented minorities—made up 31% of the total population and 24% of STEM workers in 2021.

Women and some racial and ethnic minority groups are also underrepresented in postsecondary science and engineering (S&E) education—which may be indicative of their future participation in the STEM workforce. Women earned approximately half of the S&E degrees at the associate’s and bachelor’s degree levels in 2020, which was similar to their share of the population ages 18 to 34 years (figure 1-2). This age group, referred to here as the college-age population, includes most students completing degrees at the associate through doctoral levels.​ Compared with the proportion of women earning associate’s degrees, women accounted for lower shares of advanced S&E degree recipients, earning 46% of S&E master’s degrees and 41% of S&E doctoral degrees in 2020.

Racial and ethnic groups also vary in their representation among S&E degree recipients relative to their share of 18-to-34-year-olds. Compared with their proportions of the college-age population, Whites and Asians account for a disproportionately high share of S&E degree recipients at the bachelor’s level and above, whereas Hispanics, Blacks, and American Indians or Alaska Natives account for a disproportionately low share of these degree recipients. The gap is increasingly pronounced at higher degree levels. Underrepresented minorities collectively accounted for 37% of the college-age population in 2021 and 26% of S&E bachelor’s, 24% of S&E master’s, and 16% of S&E doctoral degree recipients in 2020.

Purpose of Report

The purpose of this report, Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities 2023, is to provide statistical information about these three groups, all of whom have historically been underrepresented in the S&E enterprise. As mandated by the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (Public Law 96-516), the National Science Foundation through the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) publishes a biennial report to assess the current standing of women, persons from racial or ethnic minority groups, and persons with disabilities in STEM employment and S&E education in relation to other groups. The analyses presented here are relevant to policymakers, program managers, and researchers interested in diversity and representation in the U.S. science and engineering enterprise.

Structure of Report

This report begins by describing the representation of women, persons from underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities in the STEM workforce as a whole and in three types of STEM occupations (S&E, S&E-related, and middle-skill occupations) using data from 2011 and 2021. Analyses of comparative wage and salary earnings and the impact of educational attainment are presented using the survey data from 2021. The section on unemployment rates across these groups highlights the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the differences between 2019 and 2021. The section on the STEM workforce with at least a bachelor’s degree describes the representation of these groups in specific STEM occupations in 2021 and how part-time versus full-time employment varies across the groups.

Two sections of this report focus on S&E education. The section on degrees earned shows the data by broad S&E field from 2011 to 2020, with an emphasis on bachelor’s degree data for underrepresented minority groups. Representation of women among recipients of S&E technologies associate’s degrees, a typical entry point into the skilled technical workforce, is described in a sidebar. The section on enrollment addresses the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on graduate enrollment, exploring differences based on sex, race, and ethnicity. Collectively, these sections provide insight into the likely representation of these groups in the future STEM labor force.

Defining the STEM Workforce, Racial and Ethnic Categories, and Disability Status

When discussing the STEM workforce, this report uses the definition of the STEM labor force as outlined in the Science and Engineering Indicators 2022 report The STEM Labor Force of Today: Scientists, Engineers, and Skilled Technical Workforce (NSB, NSF 2021) and the infographic Workforce Statistics (NCSES 2022). This new definition of the STEM labor force includes workers in S&E, S&E-related, and middle-skill occupations

PART 3

The STEM Workforce

Overview

The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce is made up of individuals at all education levels who work in science and engineering (S&E), S&E-related, and middle-skill occupations (see sidebar The STEM Workforce of the United States). Using data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS), this section describes (1) the size of this workforce, (2) the representation of people according to sex, race, ethnicity, and disability status, and (3) how representation of these groups has changed between 2011 and 2021. Data show that although men and Whites still make up the largest share, the STEM workforce has been gradually diversifying over the past 10 years, with increased representation of women and underrepresented minorities—that is, Hispanics or Latinos, Blacks or African Americans, and American Indians or Alaska Natives.

Representation in the STEM Workforce

About a quarter of the U.S. workforce is employed in STEM occupations.

Of the 146.4 million people ages 18 to 74 in the workforce, 34.9 million (24%) were employed in STEM occupations in 2021 (figure 2-1). Although men and women represented similar proportions of the total workforce—52% men and 48% women (figure 1-1)—a greater share of men (29%) than women (18%) worked in STEM occupations. Among racial or ethnic groups, Asian workers had the highest share employed in STEM (39%), whereas the lowest share was among Black workers (18%). Within the other racial and ethnic groups, 20% to 25% worked in STEM. Workers with one or more disabilities represent a small proportion (3%) of the total workforce. Among workers with at least one disability, 21% worked in STEM occupations, which is slightly less than the 24% of nondisabled workers in STEM occupations.

In terms of age—and contrary to what is typically believed—STEM workers with at least one disability are not overwhelmingly concentrated in the older age groups. According to the 2021 CPS, among the STEM workforce ages 18 to 74 with one or more disabilities, 18% were in the early stages of their career (ages 18 to 34), 39% were midcareer (ages 35 to 54), and 43% were in the later stages of their career (age 55 and older).

Growth in the STEM Workforce between 2011 and 2021

The size of the STEM workforce grew between 2011 and 2021 for all groups.

Between 2011 and 2021, the STEM workforce grew by 5.9 million, from 29.0 million to 34.9 million, representing a 20% increase (figure 2-2). STEM workers as a percentage of the total workforce also increased, from 21% in 2011 to 24% in 2021.

Although fewer women than men work in STEM occupations, their share of the STEM workforce grew at a faster rate. Between 2011 and 2021, the number of women in the STEM workforce increased 31%, from 9.4 million to 12.3 million. For men, 22.6 million were employed in STEM occupations in 2021, up 15% from the 19.7 million employed in 2011.

In 2021, White workers—at 22.4 million—represented the largest race and ethnic group in the STEM workforce, followed by workers who were Hispanic (5.1 million), Asian (3.6 million), Black (3.0 million), and American Indian or Alaska Native (216,000). Hispanic STEM workers experienced the greatest numeric growth over this period—2.0 million—increasing from 3.1 million to 5.1 million. Although the increase in STEM workers was mostly for those without disabilities, the number of STEM workers with at least one disability also increased, reaching about 1.0 million in 2021.

The share of women and underrepresented minorities in the STEM workforce increased between 2011 and 2021.

Compared with women, men make up the greater share of the STEM workforce. In 2021, about two-thirds (65%) of those employed in STEM occupations were men and about one-third (35%) were women (figure 2-3). Consistent with women’s faster growth than men’s in the STEM workforce, the proportion of the STEM workforce that were women increased by 3 percentage points from 2011 to 2021.

Collectively, underrepresented minorities—Hispanics, Blacks, and American Indians or Alaska Natives—represented nearly a quarter (24%) of the STEM workforce in 2021, up from 18% in 2011. Of these three groups, the share of Hispanics increased the most, from 11% in 2011 to 15% in 2021. As the proportion of other racial and ethnic groups increased, the proportion of White STEM workers decreased from 74% in 2011 to 64% in 2021. These data show increasing diversity within the STEM workforce over this 10-year period.

Despite the increase in the number of STEM workers with a disability, the proportion of these workers in the STEM workforce was unchanged from 2011 to 2021.

PART 4

STEM Occupations

Overview

There are two ways the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce is divided for analysis in this section. One is based on the type of occupation, which falls into three broad categories: science and engineering (S&E), S&E-related, and middle-skill occupations (see sidebar The STEM Workforce of the United States). The other is based on education, which divides this workforce into two categories: (1) the STEM workforce, including workers with at least a bachelor’s degree, and (2) the skilled technical workforce, including workers with a high level of technical knowledge but without a bachelor’s degree. Most middle-skill positions do not require a bachelor’s degree; thus, most workers in middle-skill occupations are part of the skilled technical workforce. In contrast, most S&E occupations require at least a bachelor’s degree. S&E-related positions are a mix of those requiring one or more degrees and those that often require certification. Evaluation of the data from the Census Bureau’s 2021 Current Population Survey reveals intriguing differences in the representation of women, people of different racial or ethnic groups, or people with disabilities among these categories of the STEM workforce. Asian STEM workers are found most commonly in S&E occupations. Women in the STEM workforce are found most commonly in S&E-related occupations. Men in the STEM workforce, as well as Hispanic or Latino and American Indian or Alaska Native STEM workers, are found most commonly in middle-skill occupations.

Representation in S&E, S&E-Related, and Middle-Skill Occupations

Within groups of STEM workers organized by sex, race, ethnicity, or disability status, the distribution by broad occupation type varies.

When the STEM workforce is divided into broad occupation types, 38% worked in middle-skill occupations, 37% in S&E-related occupations, and 25% in S&E occupations in 2021 (figure 3-1).

Dividing the STEM workforce by sex reveals striking differences in occupational distribution and concentration. Among men, half (52%) worked in middle-skill occupations, whereas over two-thirds (68%) of women worked in S&E-related occupations. The proportions were closer for S&E occupations than for the other two broad STEM occupation types: 28% of men and 20% of women were in S&E occupations.

Notable differences also exist when the distributions within the racial and ethnic groups are compared. Among Asian STEM workers, about half (52%) were employed in S&E occupations, with the smallest share employed in middle-skill occupations (13%). By comparison, among Hispanics and among American Indians or Alaska Natives in the STEM workforce, the greatest proportions worked in middle-skill occupations (63% and 52%, respectively) and the smallest proportions worked in S&E occupations (14% each). The highest share of Black or African American STEM workers was in S&E-related occupations (44%).

Among those in the STEM workforce, 46% of those with at least one disability worked in middle-skill occupations, compared with 38% of those with no disability. The share of STEM workers with at least one disability working in S&E-related occupations was lower than that of STEM workers without a disability (29% vs. 37%). A similar proportion of STEM workers with a disability and without a disability had positions in S&E occupations (24% and 25%, respectively).

Characteristics of the STEM Workforce

About two-thirds employed in S&E-related occupations are women; about a quarter employed in middle-skill occupations are Hispanic; about a fifth employed in S&E occupations are Asian.

In 2021, employment within each broad occupation type was dominated by either men or women (figure 3-2). Middle-skill occupations had the greatest concentration, where nearly 9 out of 10 (89%) workers were men. At 72%, men also had most of the S&E jobs. Conversely, among S&E-related occupations, nearly two-thirds (65%) were women.

When combined, underrepresented minorities—Hispanics, Blacks, and American Indians or Alaska Natives—made up about a quarter (24%) of all STEM workers (figure 1-1). When divided by broad occupation type, compared with their share of STEM workers, underrepresented minorities made up a lower share of S&E occupations (16%) and S&E-related occupations (20%) but a higher share of middle-skill occupations (33%).

Although Hispanics made up 15% of the STEM workforce (figure 2-3), they represented nearly a quarter (24%) of those working in middle-skill occupations (figure 3-2). Similarly, Asian STEM workers made up 10% of the STEM workforce but 21% of those in S&E occupations.

The share of workers with at least one disability was similarly low (2%–4%) across the three STEM occupation types, which is consistent with their low proportion in the overall STEM workforce (3%).

Educational Attainment of the STEM Workforce

Within groups of STEM workers organized by sex, race, ethnicity, or disability status, representation in the skilled technical workforce varies.

Dividing the STEM workforce by educational attainment yields two large groups (see sidebar The STEM Workforce of the United States). One is STEM workers who do not have a bachelor’s degree, referred to as the skilled technical workforce, and the other is STEM workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Overall, the STEM workforce was about equally split between the skilled technical workforce (49%) and workers with at least a bachelor’s degree (51%) in 2021.

Among male STEM workers, over half (57%) were employed in the skilled technical workforce, which includes workers in S&E, S&E-related, and middle-skill occupations. Conversely, nearly two-thirds (65%) of women with STEM jobs had a bachelor’s degree or higher education.

About 7 out of 10 STEM workers in two racial or ethnic groups—Hispanic (72%) and American Indian or Alaska Native (67%)—worked in the skilled technical workforce. In contrast, 86% of Asian STEM workers had a bachelor’s degree or higher, with just 14% of that group employed in the skilled technical workforce.

Among STEM workers with at least one disability, about two-thirds (65%) were employed in the skilled technical workforce, whereas STEM workers without a disability were evenly divided between the skilled technical workforce (49%) and those with at least a bachelor’s degree (51%).

Men make up three-fourths of the skilled technical workforce.

Among STEM workers in the skilled technical workforce, the share of men was three times that of women (75% vs. 25%) (figure 3-4). This pattern is similar to that of the male-female distribution of middle-skill occupations (figure 3-2). The higher share of women in the skilled technical workforce relates to the inclusion of workers across all three broad categories of STEM occupations—S&E, S&E-related, and middle-skill occupations—and the high share of women (65%) in S&E-related occupations (figure 3-2). Compared with the skilled technical workforce, the distribution by sex in STEM occupations with a bachelor’s degree or higher was more evenly split: 55% male and 45% female.

The share of underrepresented minorities—Hispanics, Blacks, and American Indians or Alaska Natives—in the skilled technical workforce (32%) was twice the share of underrepresented minorities employed in STEM occupations with a bachelor’s degree or higher (16%).

Over one in five (22%) employed in the skilled technical workforce were Hispanic, notably higher than the share of Hispanic workers employed in STEM jobs with at least a bachelor’s degree (8%). Conversely, Asian workers made up 17% of those employed in STEM with a bachelor’s degree or higher, about five times their share in the skilled technical workforce (3%).

The share of workers with at least one disability was similarly low across the two education levels (2% with a bachelor’s degree or higher and 4% in the skilled technical workforce).

PART 5

STEM Median Wage and Salary Earnings

Overview

Employment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has a positive impact on the pocketbook. Median wage and salary earnings​ are higher for those working in STEM than in non-STEM occupations, regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, or disability status. Additionally, within the STEM workforce, higher education translates into higher pay. For all demographic groups of STEM workers, those with a bachelor’s degree or higher have higher median earnings than those without college degrees. However, pay disparities exist in the STEM workforce. Female STEM workers earn less than male STEM workers. Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, and American Indian or Alaska Native STEM workers earn less than White and Asian STEM workers. STEM workers with disabilities earn less than those without disabilities.

Various factors contribute to earnings differences.​ Sex, race, ethnicity, and disability status are examined here by using data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey​ to explore how demographic characteristics interact with occupation and education to influence earnings. For all groups, median earnings will be compared between STEM and non-STEM occupations and across STEM occupation type (S&E, S&E-related, and middle-skill occupations) and according to educational attainment (with or without at least a bachelor’s degree).

Earnings of STEM and Non-STEM Workers

STEM workers earn more than non-STEM workers, regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, or disability status.

STEM workers had median wage and salary earnings of about $64,000, higher than the $40,000 earned by those working in non-STEM occupations (figure 4-1).

When the workforce is divided by sex, men who worked in STEM occupations made more than men who had non-STEM jobs ($65,000 vs. $48,000). The same was true for women, who earned $60,000 in STEM occupations and $36,000 in non-STEM occupations. However, when men and women are compared, men had higher median earnings than women in both STEM and non-STEM occupations.

For all racial and ethnic groups, STEM workers had higher median wage and salary earnings than their counterparts who worked in non-STEM jobs. When considering just STEM occupations, Asian workers had the highest median earnings ($92,000), followed by White workers ($66,000), whereas Hispanic workers ($45,000) and American Indian or Alaska Native workers ($50,000) had the lowest.

The same pattern exists among those in the workforce with at least one disability. Those who work in STEM had higher median earnings than those who worked in non-STEM occupations ($57,000 vs. $30,000). However, in both STEM and non-STEM occupation, those without a disability had higher median earnings than those with a disability.

Earnings of Workers in S&E, S&E-Related, and Middle-Skill Occupations

STEM workers in S&E occupations earn more than those in S&E-related or middle-skill occupations.

When STEM workers are divided by broad occupation type, median wage and salary earnings were highest for those in S&E occupations ($90,000), followed by S&E-related ($67,000), then middle-skill occupations ($50,000). This pattern—where earnings are highest for S&E occupations and lowest for middle-skill occupations—occurs regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, or disability status (figure 4-2).

Men had higher median earnings than women in all three broad occupation types. Among those with S&E jobs, men’s median earnings were $100,000 in 2020, compared with $76,000 for women. In S&E-related occupations, the median earnings for men were $80,000, compared with $60,000 for women. Middle-skill earnings showed the smallest difference between men and women ($50,000 vs. $40,000).

In both S&E and S&E-related occupations, Asian workers had the highest median wage and salary earnings, followed by White workers and then by Hispanic and Black workers, whose earnings were comparable. The median earnings for Asian workers in S&E occupations were $107,000, which was higher than those for White ($90,000), Hispanic ($75,000), and Black ($73,000) workers in the same broad occupation type. Within middle-skill occupations, median earnings for White workers were higher than those for Black and Hispanic workers. There was no statistical difference in the median earnings of Asian, Hispanic, and Black middle-skill workers.

Among STEM workers with at least one disability, those employed in S&E occupations had the highest median wage and salary earnings ($89,000), followed by those in S&E-related ($53,000) and middle-skill ($45,000) occupations. Among workers in S&E-related occupations, those without a disability had higher median earnings than those with at least one disability ($68,000 vs. $53,000). Both disabled and nondisabled workers had comparable earnings if they work in S&E (about $90,000) or middle-skill (about $50,000) occupations.

As seen in the gender pay disparity across broad STEM occupation types, male STEM workers typically make more than female STEM workers regardless of whether they have an advanced degree. The median wage and salary earnings for men with at least a bachelor’s degree was $97,000 in 2020, compared with $74,000 for women in the same education category. In the skilled technical workforce, men’s median earnings ($50,000) were higher than women’s median earnings ($41,000).

In the STEM workforce with a bachelor’s degree or higher, Asian workers ($100,000) had the highest median earnings, followed by White workers ($80,000) and then by Black ($72,000) and Hispanic ($70,000) workers (whose median earnings were comparable). In the skilled technical workforce, White workers had higher median earnings ($52,000) than Black ($45,000), Asian ($44,000), or Hispanic ($40,000) workers.

Earnings were not significantly different by disability status for STEM workers with or without a bachelor’s degree.

PART 6

STEM Unemployment

Overview

The unemployment rate measures the share of workers in the labor force who do not currently have a job but are available and actively looking for work. In general, underrepresented minorities—Hispanics or Latinos, Blacks or African Americans, and American Indians or Alaska Natives—experience higher rates of unemployment than their White and Asian counterparts.​ Data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rates of the labor force in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM occupations increased between 2019 and 2021 for most demographic groups. The 2021 unemployment rates of these groups are also examined in STEM occupations according to broad occupational type—science and engineering (S&E), S&E-related, and middle-skill occupations—and according to educational attainment—with or without at least a bachelor’s degree. Although the COVID-19 pandemic affected unemployment rates of individuals in STEM occupations less than it affected the rates of those in non-STEM occupations, persistent disparities among racial and ethnic groups exist. Black STEM workers experienced the highest rate of unemployment in 2021, followed by Hispanic STEM workers. White and Asian STEM workers experienced the lowest rates of unemployment.

Unemployment Rates for STEM and Non-STEM Occupations in 2019 and 2021

Unemployment rates for both STEM and non-STEM occupations increased between 2019 and 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profoundly negative impact on employment across the U.S. workforce. However, the impact was less for workers in STEM occupations than it was for those in non-STEM occupations (figure 5-1). Unemployment rates for STEM workers increased 1.5 percentage points between 2019 and 2021 (from 2.1% to 3.6%), whereas unemployment for non-STEM workers increased 2.8 percentage points (from 3.9% to 6.7%) during this period.

Unemployment rates reflect both employer and employee sides of employment. Unemployment rates are increased by job loss (employer side effect) and are decreased by workers leaving the workforce, either voluntarily or due to layoffs or job loss and not seeking reemployment. The pandemic increased the demand for some occupations and reduced the demand for others.

Unemployment rates for both men and women in STEM and non-STEM occupations increased over this 3-year period. Within each occupation group, the amount of increase for men and women was comparable. However, for both years (2019 and 2021) and both occupation groups (STEM and non-STEM), the unemployment rates for men were higher than those for women.

Within the racial and ethnic groups, increases in STEM unemployment rates between 2019 and 2021 were statistically significant for Whites, Hispanics, and Blacks but not for Asians. However, when comparing among groups, the increase was greater for Blacks (3.4 percentage points from 3.2% to 6.6%) and Hispanics (2.9 percentage points from 2.8% to 5.7%) than it was for Whites (1.0 percentage point from 1.9% to 2.9%). For non-STEM occupations, the unemployment rates in 2021 were higher than the rates in 2019 for White, Asian, Hispanic, and Black workers. The increases over the 3-year period for Asians (4.6 percentage points from 2.9% to 7.6%), Hispanics (3.9 percentage points from 4.3% to 8.2%), and Blacks (3.8 percentage points from 6.7% to 10.5%) were higher than those for Whites (2.0 percentage points 3.2% to 5.2%). Both in 2019 and 2021 and for all racial and ethnic groups, those working in STEM occupations had lower unemployment rates than those in non-STEM occupations.

Overall, the unemployment rates of workers with or without one or more disabilities were lower if they worked in STEM rather than in non-STEM occupations. However, both groups experienced comparable increases in unemployment in STEM and non-STEM occupations from 2019 to 2021. The unemployment rate for workers in non-STEM occupations with at least one disability was higher in 2021 (11.2%) than in 2019 (8.5%). In contrast, unemployment rates were comparable in 2021 (5.3%) and in 2019 (3.8%) for workers with at least one disability in STEM occupations. For those without a disability, the unemployment rates for both occupation groups increased over the 3-year period.

Unemployment Rates in S&E, S&E-Related, and Middle-Skill Occupations

STEM workers in middle-skill occupations have a higher unemployment rate than those in S&E or S&E-related occupations.

When the STEM workforce is divided by broad occupation type, those in middle-skill occupations had the highest unemployment rate in 2021 (5.9%), which was about twice that of S&E (2.5%) and over twice that of S&E-related (2.1%) occupations (figure 5-2). Higher unemployment rates for middle-skill occupations occurred across all groups of workers except for those with at least one disability.

Although women in middle-skill occupations had a higher unemployment rate than men in these occupations, the unemployment rates for men and women in S&E or S&E-related occupations were similar.

In the middle-skill occupations, Blacks experienced the highest unemployment rate (10.6%) out of all the racial and ethnic groups. Unemployment rates for S&E workers who are Black (4.8%) or Hispanic (4.4%) were higher than those who are Asian (1.7%) or White (2.2%). In S&E-related occupations, Whites had lower unemployment rates (1.4%) than did Blacks (4.4%) and Hispanics (3.4%), but they had rates that were comparable to Asians (2.3%).

Although STEM workers with no disabilities had similar unemployment rates as those with disabilities in middle-skill occupations (5.9% and 6.1%, respectively), their rate was notably lower than that for those with a disability in S&E-related occupations (1.9% and 6.8%, respectively).

Unemployment Rates by Educational Attainment in the STEM Labor Force

The skilled technical workforce has a higher unemployment rate than STEM workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Overall, among all STEM workers in 2021, higher educational attainment is associated with lower unemployment (figure 5-3). STEM workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher had a lower unemployment rate than those employed in the skilled technical workforce (2.4% vs. 4.9%).

For both men and women, unemployment was higher if they worked in the skilled technical workforce than if they were STEM workers with at least a bachelor’s degree. However, there was no difference in the unemployment rates of men and women in the STEM workforce by education: 2.6% of men and 2.2% of women with at least a bachelor’s degree were unemployed, as were 5.1% men and 4.2% of women without a bachelor’s degree.

The pattern of higher unemployment rates for workers in the skilled technical workforce than for STEM workers with at least a bachelor’s degree persists across all racial and ethnic groups. However, in both educational groups, Blacks had higher unemployment rates than Whites or Asians, but their rates were not statistically different from rates of Hispanic unemployment. In the skilled technical workforce, Hispanic unemployment was higher than White unemployment, but it was not statistically different from the unemployment rates of Asians and Blacks.

For STEM workers with at least one disability, educational attainment had little effect on unemployment. For those with a disability, the unemployment rate among the skilled technical workforce (5.2%) was about the same as the rate among the workforce with a bachelor’s degree or higher (5.4%). Likewise, when comparing the unemployment rates of each educational group by disability status, the differences between the estimates are not statistically significant. That is, unemployment rates are comparable between those with at least a bachelor’s degree who have one or more disabilities (5.4%) and those who have no disability (2.4%). Additionally, there is no statistical difference between the unemployment rates for those without a bachelor’s degree by disability status (5.2% with at least one disability vs. 4.8% with no disability).