Photo: Hispanics Lagging in Attaining Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Careers
Last year, President Obama announced a goal to recruit 10,000 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) teachers over the next two years, saying it was necessary to “move the country forward” and bring the country’s STEM education to levels comparable to those in other developed countries.
“When I came into office, I set a goal of moving our nation from the middle to the top of the pack in math and science education. Strengthening STEM education is vital to preparing our students to compete in the 21st century economy and we need to recruit and train math and science teachers to support our nation’s students,” President Obama stated, but it seems that over the past decade, Hispanics and blacks have been under represented in STEM jobs.
Asians and non-Hispanic whites are more likely to earn bachelor’s degrees and therefore take up a larger share of STEM jobs, pointing out that equality in educational attainment could also help bring more Hispanics and blacks into colleges to launch them into STEM careers.
Key findings from a report released from the Economics and Statistics Administration on Monday state:
• Non‐Hispanic Whites comprise the largest group of STEM workers, accounting for about seven out of ten STEM workers, which aligns closely with their share of the overall workforce.
• Non‐Hispanic Asians are most likely (42 percent) to graduate college with a STEM degree, while the propensities of other groups are all fairly similar (17‐22 percent).
• Half of all non‐Hispanic Asian workers with STEM degrees have STEM jobs, compared to 30 percent of Hispanics and non‐Hispanic Black and American Indian and Alaska Native workers.
• One in five STEM workers is foreign‐born, of which 63 percent come from Asia.
• STEM workers in all demographic groups, including the foreign‐born, earn more than their non‐ STEM counterparts. Hispanics and non‐Hispanic Blacks receive a significantly larger STEM premium than do non‐Hispanic Whites.
