Introduction
This report provides an analytical overview of the U.S. S&E labor force. Although a variety of data sources are used throughout, demographic and workforce surveys conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) are a major source of data for this report. These surveys cover the labor force with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and as a result, much of the analysis in this report is focused on this group. In addition, we use data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to analyze the S&E workforce at all education levels, including the skilled technical workforce. Topics covered in this report include the definition, size, and growth of the S&E workforce as well as career pathways from education to employment. Employment sector and industry, salary, and unemployment rates provide information on where S&E workers are in the economy and their labor market conditions. A brief examination of the demographic makeup and the role of foreign-born S&E workers concludes the report.