Patterns of interstate mobility: What are the demographic and field of study trends?
Interstate mobility is a key measure of the population and the workforce. The flows of newly minted doctorate recipients from one state to another for their first job after graduation are an indicator of economic growth and workforce development within the United States.
Overall trends
Doctorate recipients with definite employment commitments outside the state where the degree was awarded, by citizenship: 1968–2017
The trends presented here were estimated using data from doctorate recipients with definite employment commitments in the United States. Of the 517,336 doctorates who earned their degrees from 2008 to 2017, 59% reported postgraduation plans to work in the United States. They were considered mobile if their first definite employment commitment was in a state different from the state of their doctoral institution.
Among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the number of mobile doctorate recipients has been on the rise for 12 years following an almost 40-year period of gradual decline. In the late 1960s, two-thirds of U.S. citizen and permanent resident doctorates had definite employment commitments outside the state of their awarding institution. This interstate mobility proportion declined to just over half (51%) by 2005 but increased to 56% in 2017.
Doctorate recipients who were on temporary visas had greater interstate mobility than U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The rest of this section focuses on interstate mobility by demographic characteristics of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Note(s)
Definite commitment refers to a doctorate recipient who is either returning to predoctoral employment or has signed a contract (or otherwise made a definite commitment) for employment, including postdoctoral study, in the coming year and plans to stay in the United States.
Source(s)
National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2017.
Sex and marital status
U.S. citizen and permanent resident doctorate recipients with definite employment commitments outside the state where the degree was awarded, by sex and marital status: 2008 and 2017
In 2017, women who had never married were slightly more mobile than men with the same marital status. Men who were or had been married or in marriage-like relationships were more mobile than their female counterparts.
From 2008 to 2017, interstate mobility increased the most for men and women who were widowed, separated, or divorced and for women who were married or in marriage-like relationships. Doctorate recipients who had never married were more mobile than those who reported any other marital status.
Note(s)
Definite commitment refers to a doctorate recipient who is either returning to predoctoral employment or has signed a contract (or otherwise made a definite commitment) for employment, including postdoctoral study, in the coming year and plans to stay in the United States.
Source(s)
National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2017.
Age of dependents
U.S. citizen and permanent resident doctorate recipients with definite employment commitments outside the state where the degree was awarded, by age of dependents and sex: 2008–17
Doctorate recipients with no dependents were more mobile than those with dependents. Overall, women with dependents had lower interstate mobility rates than men with dependents, with the largest differences among doctorate recipients who had dependents younger than age 18. Among these doctorate recipients, mobility declined for both men and women as the age of the children increased.
Note(s)
Definite commitment refers to a doctorate recipient who is either returning to predoctoral employment or has signed a contract (or otherwise made a definite commitment) for employment, including postdoctoral study, in the coming year and plans to stay in the United States. Dependent categories are not mutually exclusive; details may not sum to totals shown in other tables.
Source(s)
National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2017.
Age
U.S. citizen and permanent resident doctorate recipients with definite employment commitments outside the state where the degree was awarded, by age: 2008–17
Interstate mobility rates decline with age. In the youngest cohorts of doctorate recipients (age 30 and younger), nearly two-thirds accepted employment in a state different from where they earned their degree. Among doctorate recipients who were age 45 or older, only close to a third accepted employment in a different state.
Note(s)
Definite commitment refers to a doctorate recipient who is either returning to predoctoral employment or has signed a contract (or otherwise made a definite commitment) for employment, including postdoctoral study, in the coming year and plans to stay in the United States.
Source(s)
National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2017.
Race and ethnicity
U.S. citizen and permanent resident doctorate recipients with definite employment commitments outside the state where the degree was awarded, by race and ethnicity: 2008–17
In the past 10 years, slightly more than half of new doctorates committed to employment in another state, and mobility was similar across most racial and ethnic groups. The interstate mobility rate of American Indians or Alaska Natives was the lowest (46%) among racial or ethnic groups, while that of doctorate recipients of more than one race (57%) was the highest.
Note(s)
Definite commitment refers to a doctorate recipient who is either returning to predoctoral employment or has signed a contract (or otherwise made a definite commitment) for employment, including postdoctoral study, in the coming year and plans to stay in the United States. Hispanic or Latino may be any race.
Source(s)
National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2017.
Field of study
U.S. citizen and permanent resident doctorate recipients with definite employment commitments outside the state where the degree was awarded, by broad field of study and sex: 2008–17
In the past decade, doctorate recipients in business management and administration had the highest interstate mobility rates and education doctorates the lowest. More than three-quarters (76%) of men and over two-thirds (70%) of women earning a doctorate award in business management and administration accepted a job in a state different from the state of their doctoral institution. In contrast, interstate mobility of doctorate recipients in education during this period was 35% for men and 31% for women.
In science and engineering fields, interstate mobility was highest in psychology and social sciences, physical sciences and earth sciences, and mathematics and computer sciences. In mathematics and computer sciences, engineering, and physical sciences and earth sciences—which were broad fields with low participation of women—women were as mobile or slightly more mobile than men.
S&E = science and engineering.
Note(s)
Definite commitment refers to a doctorate recipient who is either returning to predoctoral employment or has signed a contract (or otherwise made a definite commitment) for employment or a postdoctoral position in the coming year.
Source(s)
National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2017.
