By Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe
More than a 73.6 million Americans — roughly a third of the country — work in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical-related fields (STEMM), according to a new report from Science is US, an initiative managed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Those STEMM jobs represent 39.2% of America’s GDP.
Science at Work: The People and Industries Powering America’s Prosperity highlights the positive economic impact of STEMM careers and the growing need for continued investment in science.
“By strengthening federal support for research and enhancing workforce stability, the nation can continue to attract and retain global STEMM talent, ensuring sustained economic growth and global competitiveness,” said AAAS chief government relations officer Joanne Padrón Carney in a press release.
This report comes at a precarious time for STEMM fields, as the Trump administration’s budget cuts and directives have prompted mass layoffs, grant review pauses, and program cancellations at science and health agencies.
The National Institutes of Health recently suspended a handful of training grants for individuals and institutions. One of the suspended programs, the Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement, sought to prepare “a diverse pool of undergraduates” for graduate school. Just last week, the National Science Foundation reduced the most recent cohort of its Graduate Research Fellowship Program by half. Scientists worry that cuts to these kinds of programs will curtail the development of early-career scientists and disincentivize young researchers from pursuing STEMM careers.
Economists also warn that cutting federal funds for scientific research will stifle American innovations that are crucial to economic growth and maintaining global leadership.
Science is US emphasized that the United States already has a skills gap in STEMM fields that could have devastating impacts for the nation’s economy. The report estimates that, over the next decade, the demand for STEMM workers will increase by 10.5%. However, the United States is currently not equipped to fill these roles because of what the report calls an inadequate “pipeline of high-skilled labor.”
An example of this skills gap is in the semiconductor industry. In a recent report, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) estimated that more than half of the projected new semiconductor-related jobs are at risk of going unfilled if graduation rates remain unchanged. As these roles go unfilled, the United States “risks falling behind global competitors in the race for economic leadership and technology innovation,” according to SIA. The report underscored that, of those unfilled roles, “39% will be technicians, most of whom will have certificates or two-year degrees; 35% will be engineers with four-year degrees or computer scientists; and 26% will be engineers at the master’s or PhD level.”
Science is US suggested that the United States can meet this growing demand for STEMM workers by having “educators, policymakers, and industry leaders” work together to create more pathways to advanced degrees.
This report makes the case for why the federal government should continue to invest in scientific research and the STEMM workforce. As Princeton University President and AAU Board Chair Christopher Eisgruber told Bloomberg earlier this month, the partnership between the government and research universities “has contributed tremendously to the prosperity, health, and security of our country.”
Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe is editorial and communications assistant at AAU.