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Table 63. Statistical profile of postgraduation plans of doctorate recipients in psychology and social sciences fields, by sex and field of study: 2016

Characteristic All psychology and social sciences fields Psychology Anthropology Economics Political science and government Sociology Other social sciences
All doctorate recipients (number)a 9,078 3,946 460 1,238 745 615 2,074
Postgraduation status (number)b
Definite postgraduation study 1,911 1,277 95 113 118 96 212
Definite employment 3,264 1,020 102 744 313 266 819
Seeking employment or study 2,300 804 197 196 193 171 739
Otherc 339 126 22 38 30 29 94
Definite postgraduation study (%)d
Postdoc fellowship 72.9 77.1 66.3 54.0 70.3 72.9 61.8
Postdoc research associateship 22.0 16.1 31.6 41.6 28.0 26.0 37.3
Other or unknowne 5.1 6.7 2.1 4.4 1.7 1.0 0.9
Definite employment (%)f
Academe 55.8 42.7 63.7 53.5 70.0 76.3 61.2
Government 13.0 11.4 13.7 17.9 12.1 8.6 12.3
Industry or businessg 17.6 25.0 10.8 20.6 8.3 6.0 13.7
Nonprofit organization 7.4 10.6 5.9 4.4 6.1 5.6 7.4
Other or unknownh 6.2 10.3 5.9 3.6 3.5 3.4 5.4
Primary activityi
R&D 38.1 26.4 17.6 63.5 35.9 39.7 30.9
Teaching 35.3 27.8 52.7 23.0 47.7 50.6 43.6
Management or administration 8.9 9.1 15.4 3.2 8.9 6.5 14.2
Professional services 16.1 35.4 8.8 9.1 6.8 2.8 9.0
Other 1.6 1.4 5.5 1.3 0.7 0.4 2.3
Secondary activityj
R&D 31.5 25.3 46.2 24.7 43.1 38.9 36.2
Teaching 21.0 16.2 15.4 31.8 22.1 19.0 17.6
Management or administration 12.7 15.5 7.7 10.1 8.2 13.4 14.0
Professional services 7.6 8.1 9.9 7.2 7.5 7.3 7.4
Other 1.7 1.9 2.2 2.6 0.7 0.4 1.5
No secondary activity 25.5 32.9 18.7 23.6 18.5 21.1 23.4
Activity unknown 10.2 14.5 10.8 6.6 10.2 7.1 9.0
Postgraduation location (%)k
United Statesl 88.6 96.2 82.2 72.7 86.8 90.1 86.4
New England 8.6 9.1 10.2 6.7 8.8 8.8 8.7
Middle Atlantic 13.0 13.9 11.2 11.6 13.0 16.3 11.5
East North Central 12.5 14.4 9.1 9.6 12.5 16.0 9.9
West North Central 4.9 6.0 5.6 2.6 3.7 4.1 4.9
South Atlantic 19.1 17.9 16.2 22.2 21.1 16.9 19.9
East South Central 3.0 3.4 3.0 1.8 3.9 3.0 2.8
West South Central 6.9 8.6 5.6 3.0 6.0 5.2 7.8
Mountain 4.9 5.7 6.1 2.1 4.2 5.2 5.4
Pacific and insular 15.6 17.2 15.2 13.3 13.5 14.4 15.3
Not in United States 11.2 3.7 17.3 27.1 13.2 9.9 13.2
Location unknown 0.2 0.1 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.4
Male doctorate recipients (number) 3,749 1,138 171 820 462 259 899
Postgraduation status (number)b
Definite postgraduation study 661 339 35 71 74 39 103
Definite employment 1,534 321 43 511 201 105 353
Seeking employment or study 948 236 72 126 116 79 319
Otherc 141 44 9 25 18 13 32
Definite postgraduation study (%)d
Postdoc fellowship 67.3 73.7 65.7 53.5 68.9 64.1 56.3
Postdoc research associateship 29.3 21.8 31.4 40.8 31.1 35.9 41.7
Other or unknowne 3.3 4.4 2.9 5.6 0.0 0.0 1.9
Definite employment (%)f
Academe 55.8 43.9 67.4 51.7 64.2 75.2 60.6
Government 16.2 11.8 14.0 20.4 15.9 11.4 16.1
Industry or businessg 16.8 26.8 D 19.4 9.0 D 12.2
Nonprofit organization 6.4 11.2 D 4.5 5.5 D 5.7
Other or unknownh 4.8 6.2 0.0 4.1 5.5 2.9 5.4
Primary activityi
R&D 42.6 26.3 D 65.2 37.2 D 29.9
Teaching 34.5 32.2 62.5 21.4 42.4 46.4 44.2
Management or administration 9.0 9.6 D D 11.0 8.2 15.2
Professional services 12.6 31.1 D 8.6 8.1 D 8.5
Other 1.3 0.7 D D 1.2 0.0 2.1
Secondary activityj
R&D 33.1 30.4 52.5 24.3 41.3 39.2 39.6
Teaching 22.8 17.0 D 31.4 D 20.6 18.0
Management or administration 11.6 13.3 D 10.5 D 14.4 13.1
Professional services 7.2 7.4 0.0 7.5 9.3 5.2 6.7
Other 1.7 1.9 0.0 3.4 0.6 0.0 0.3
No secondary activity 23.6 30.0 25.0 22.9 19.8 20.6 22.3
Activity unknown 9.8 15.9 7.0 6.7 14.4 7.6 7.1
Postgraduation location (%)k
United Statesl 84.0 94.8 74.4 70.8 83.3 93.1 84.2
New England 7.9 7.6 14.1 6.4 9.5 9.0 8.1
Middle Atlantic 12.9 12.6 12.8 12.9 13.1 20.1 11.0
East North Central 10.1 12.6 D 8.6 10.2 D 6.6
West North Central 4.4 6.1 D 2.6 3.6 D 5.0
South Atlantic 19.3 17.3 12.8 21.3 22.2 13.9 20.6
East South Central 3.0 4.5 D D 2.9 D 3.3
West South Central 6.4 8.9 7.7 2.7 6.2 4.9 7.9
Mountain 4.4 5.8 D D 4.4 6.9 4.2
Pacific and insular 15.6 19.4 15.4 12.7 11.3 12.5 17.3
Not in United States 15.9 5.0 25.6 29.0 16.7 6.9 15.6
Location unknown 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.2
Female doctorate recipients (number) 5,329 2,808 289 418 283 356 1,175
Postgraduation status (number)b
Definite postgraduation study 1,250 938 60 42 44 57 109
Definite employment 1,730 699 59 233 112 161 466
Seeking employment or study 1,352 568 125 70 77 92 420
Otherc 198 82 13 13 12 16 62
Definite postgraduation study (%)d
Postdoc fellowship 75.8 78.4 66.7 54.8 72.7 78.9 67.0
Postdoc research associateship 18.1 14.1 31.7 42.9 22.7 19.3 33.0
Other or unknowne 6.1 7.6 1.7 2.4 4.5 1.8 0.0
Definite employment (%)f
Academe 55.8 42.2 61.0 57.5 80.4 77.0 61.6
Government 10.2 11.2 13.6 12.4 5.4 6.8 9.4
Industry or businessg 18.3 24.2 D 23.2 7.1 D 14.8
Nonprofit organization 8.3 10.3 D 4.3 7.1 D 8.8
Other or unknownh 7.4 12.2 10.2 2.6 0.0 3.7 5.4
Primary activityi
R&D 34.0 26.4 D 59.6 33.9 D 31.7
Teaching 36.0 25.7 45.1 26.6 56.0 53.3 43.2
Management or administration 8.9 8.8 D D 5.5 5.3 13.4
Professional services 19.3 37.4 D 10.1 4.6 D 9.4
Other 1.8 1.7 D D 0.0 0.7 2.4
Secondary activityj
R&D 30.0 23.1 41.2 25.7 45.9 38.7 33.6
Teaching 19.4 15.8 D 32.6 D 18.0 17.3
Management or administration 13.6 16.4 D 9.2 D 12.7 14.6
Professional services 8.1 8.5 17.6 6.4 4.6 8.7 7.9
Other 1.8 2.0 3.9 0.9 0.9 0.7 2.4
No secondary activity 27.1 34.2 13.7 25.2 16.5 21.3 24.2
Activity unknown 10.6 13.9 13.6 6.4 2.7 6.8 10.5
Postgraduation location (%)k
United Statesl 92.0 96.8 87.4 76.7 92.9 88.1 88.2
New England 9.2 9.8 7.6 7.3 7.7 8.7 9.2
Middle Atlantic 13.1 14.4 10.1 8.7 12.8 13.8 12.0
East North Central 14.2 15.1 D 11.6 16.7 D 12.5
West North Central 5.2 5.9 D 2.5 3.8 D 4.9
South Atlantic 19.1 18.2 18.5 24.0 19.2 18.8 19.3
East South Central 3.1 2.9 D D 5.8 D 2.4
West South Central 7.3 8.4 4.2 3.6 5.8 5.5 7.7
Mountain 5.3 5.7 D D 3.8 4.1 6.4
Pacific and insular 15.6 16.2 15.1 14.5 17.3 15.6 13.7
Not in United States 7.7 3.1 11.8 22.9 7.1 11.9 11.3
Location unknown 0.2 0.1 0.8 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.5
D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.
a Includes respondents who did not report sex.
b Includes only respondents who reported postgraduation status.
c Includes respondents who indicated that they did not plan to work or study, respondents who indicated some other type of postgraduation plans, and respondents who indicated definite plans for other full-time degree program.
d Excludes respondents who indicated plans for other full-time degree program. Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for study.
e "Other" includes respondents who indicated definite postgraduation study plans for traineeship, internship or clinical residency, or other study.
f Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for employment.
g Includes doctorate recipients who indicated self-employment.
h "Other" is mainly composed of elementary and secondary schools.
i Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for employment and primary work activity.
j Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for employment and secondary work activity.
k Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans and type of plans.
l Includes cases with an unknown U.S. region of employment after doctorate; see technical notes for states or territories included in regions.
NOTES: Due to rounding, percentages may not sum to 100. See table A-6 in the technical notes for a listing of major fields and their constituent subfields.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2016.