This month's Why Social Science? post comes from Dr. Amy Burke and Julia Milton from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) who write about representation in the STEM workforce.
Every 2 years, the NCSES within the NSF publishes a congressionally mandated report on the demographic makeup of the population working in and studying science and engineering (S&E). For decades, the employment section of this report largely focused on those working in S&E occupations, which generally require at least a 4-year degree. However, a thriving economy is served by a wide array of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs that may not require a bachelor’s degree—from electricians to technicians to construction workers. Historically, these professions were not included in NCSES analyses, leaving a notable gap in our understanding of the STEM enterprise.
Drawing from years of social science research, the National Science Board and NCSES introduced a more complete definition of the STEM workforce in the 2021 Science and Engineering Indicators report The STEM Labor Force of Today: Scientists, Engineers, and Skilled Technical Workers. The new definition encompasses more workers in STEM occupations, regardless of their educational attainment. NCSES’s 2023 report Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities builds on this definition to develop a better picture of who is represented in the STEM workforce.