1. Demand for STEM Workers: Past Job Trends, Outside Job Demand, and Uncertain Futures November 13, 2007 B. Lindsay Lowell Institute for the Study of International Migration Georgetown University lowellbl@georgetown.edu Presentation at The “Roundtable Series on Technology, Innovation, and American Primacy and the High-Level Roundtable Series on American Competitiveness,” Council on Foreign Relations, New York City, November 13, 2007.

2. Gauging Demand: Long-Term Trend STEM labor force has grown more rapidly than all workers since 1950 Information technology has been a major growth engine since the 1990s But yearly rate of growth has slowed over time, recent growth has been below long-term, linear trend; and structural shift in unemployment may signal softening demand in STEM jobs proper.

8. Generalized demand: S&E outside of S&E occupations Large proportion of S&E educated persons work in non-S&E type jobs How to measure S&E job content? –Substantial share of non-S&E jobholders use S&E education, but –Surprising share of S&E jobholders do not The number of S&E educated individuals is greater than broadly-defined S&E jobs

13. Future Demand ? Recall that recent trends suggest slowing growth The BLS projections are for high STEM growth, primarily computer occupations, –STEM not only hi/large growth workforce Foreign born are a substantial presence