Chapter 3: Science & Engineering Indicators 93

The 1992 unemployment rate for engineers was 3.8 percent; natural scientists, 2.3 percent; and mathematical and computer scientists, 2.6 percent. Although scientists and engineers are less likely to be unemployed than other types of workers (the overall unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in 1992), these unemployment rates are higher than those recorded a couple of years ago. In addition, the unemployment rate for engineers is now higher than it was during the "aerospace recession" of the early 1970s. (For more information see: Federal S&E Employment, Employment of Scientists and Employment of Engineers.)
Organizations that track entry-level hiring all report a reduction in employer recruiting of new college graduates in the 1990s. Although all recent college graduates have been affected by the decrease in recruiting activity, S& E graduates are faring better than those who majored in other disciplines and are continuing to command higher starting salaries than their counterparts in non-S& E fields. The rate of increase in their starting salaries, however, slackened after 1990. (For more information see: Federal S&E Employment.)

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