(NEW YORK) — It’s probably advice high school and college students have heard repeatedly, but it can’t be stressed enough: many of the good jobs are in STEM-related fields — that is, science, technology, engineering and math.
Still, three-quarters of people currently with a bachelor’s degree in a STEM-related field are not working in the profession they studied so hard for, according to the Census Bureau.
Results of the 2012 American Community Survey show just seven percent of social science majors and ten percent of psychology majors have landed work in their desired fields.
Things are somewhat better for engineering, computer, math and statistics majors, with about half getting a job they’ve trained for, while one out of four physical science majors are working in their chosen profession.
People with STEM degrees can take some consolation in the fact that their overall unemployment rate is half the national average of 6.1 percent. However, most still aren’t taking advantage of the education they received.
Although there appears to be more candidates than jobs at the moment, 269,000 STEM-related openings are predicted by 2018, with demand for scientists and engineers growing at four times the rate of other professions during the next decade.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio
Natalia Hepworth, EastIdahoNews.com
Sam Turner, Deseret News