Title  : S&E Manufacturing Jobs Down: Changes Vary Greatly by Industry and
         Occupation
Type   : 1994 Data Briefs
NSF Org: SBE / SRS
Date   : February 16, 1995
File   : sdb94326





Although overall employment of scientists and engineers
(S&Es) in manufacturing industries fell 2.4 percent
from 1989 to 1992, employment changes varied
significantly by industry and by occupational
classification. While the chemicals and allied
products industries managed to weather the stormy
economic climate, other manufacturing industries
were hit hard by the effects of defense-related
downsizing and uncertain economic expectations.

Based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey,
four of the five industries that dominate the
technical labor market of the manufacturing sector
(see box, p. 2) experienced marked reductions in
employment of scientists, engineers, and technicians
(SETs) from 1989 to 1992. These reductions ranged
rom a 12.9-percent reduction in industrial machinery
and equipment to a 3.8-percent falloff in transportation
equipment. (See chart 1.)


[Graphic Chart 1 is omitted in this ASCII version.]

Chemicals and allied products--buoyed by a whopping
34.4-percent increase in employment of SETs in
pharmaceuticals--bucked the industry trend, increasing
6.7 percent.

Occupational Variation

Overall changes in employment of SETs mask variations
in employment effects on the occupational classifications
"scientist," "engineer," and "technician" and
between those SETs engaged in production and those
engaged in research and development (R&D). Although
total employment of SETs in chemicals and allied
products rose 6.7 percent as noted above, employment
of R&D SETs in chemicals and allied products actually
declined--by 13.1 percent.  Hardest hit were R&D engineers,
who suffered a 25.7-percent drop in employment in chemicals
and allied products industries from 1989 to 1992.  Employment
of R&D engineers similarly fell--by 19.6 percent in electronic
and electrical equipment and by 14.2 percent in transportation
equipment.  Conversely, employment of R&D engineers increased
22.6 percent in industrial machinery and equipment and 51.2
percent in instruments and related products. (See chart 2.)


[Graphic Chart 2 is omitted in this ASCII version.]


Employment of R&D technicians fell 18.9 percent in chemicals
and allied products, but R&D scientists fared somewhat
better--their employment dropped by only 4 percent. The
data suggest that R&D employment in the chemicals and
allied products industries may be highly leveraged to
the business cycle, given that employment of SETs not
engaged in R&D increased by 19.1 percent, 12.8 percent,
and 10.3 percent respectively.

Growth Industries

Certain manufacturing industries not only countered the
generally downward trend in employment of SETs, but
actually flourished.  In addition to the increase in
SET employment described above in chemicals and allied
products, increases in SET employment in other manufacturing
industries ranged from 1.2 percent in rubber and miscellaneous
plastics products to 8.1 percent in petroleum and coal products.
Offsetting these gains were sizable decreases in fabricated metal
products (10.1 percent), textile mill products (6.7 percent), and
food and kindred products (6.6 percent).

Of the 20 major industry groups that the manufacturing sector
comprises, the five dominant industries--industrial machinery
and equipment, electronic and other electrical equipment,
instruments and related products,  transportation equipment,
and chemicals and allied products--accounted for the following
in 1992: 81 percent of SETs; 86 percent of R&D SETs, 85 percent
of engineers, 90 percent of engineers in manufacturing R&D,
and 88 percent of scientists in manufacturing R&D.  (See chart 3.)


[Graphic Chart 3 is omitted in this ASCII version.]

The data presented in this Data Brief are being released in
advance of the comprehensive Detailed Statistical Tables report
Scientists, Engineers, and Technicians in Manufacturing
Industries: 1992.

This Data Brief was prepared by Richard E. Morrison,
Senior Economist, National Science Foundation,
Division of Science Resources Studies, 4201 Wilson
Boulevard, Suite 965, Arlington, VA 22230.  For
a free copy, write to the above address, call
703-306-1773, or send e-mail to srspubs@nsf.gov.