The commerce department released a report today which looks at demographic disparities in STEM education. The report finds that educational attainment may affect equality of opportunity in these critical, high-quality jobs of the future.
Key findings of this report include:
• 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.
The full report may be downloaded here.
