Communications of the ACM
Immigrants Have a Growing Role in the .S. Sci-Tech Workforce
Immigrants accounted for 18 percent of U.S. scientists and engineers in 2013, up from 16 percent in 2003, according to a U.S. National Science Foundation report. The number of foreign-born scientists and engineers has risen from 3.4 million to 5.2 million during this period and is likely to keep increasing, the report says.Overall, the number of U.S. scientists and engineers rose from 21.6 million to 29 million. However, foreign-born scientists and engineers are more likely to earn higher degrees than their U.S.-born colleagues.
In 2013, 9 percent of immigrants earned a doctorate, compared to 3.8 percent of U.S.-born citizens. Almost 15 percent of immigrants earned their highest degree in computer and mathematical science, and more than 20 percent earned engineering degrees. For U.S.-born citizens, those shares were about 8 and 10 percent, respectively. About 81 percent of foreign-born scientists and engineers were employed in 2013 — the same percentage as their U.S-born counterparts.
The report notes 57 percent of immigrant scientists and engineers hail from Asia, while immigrants from the Americas and the Caribbean make up 20 percent, and Europeans make up 16 percent. India was the leading source nation for immigrant scientists and engineers.
From IEEE Spectrum
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