HIGHLIGHTS

Summary

Scientists reported an unemployment rate of 2.6 percent for spring 1971, as compared with 1.5 percent in spring 1970. The national unemployment rate for all workers for the first quarter 1971 averaged 6.5 percent with professional, technical and kindred workers report. ing a rate of 2.8 percent.'

• Doctorates were experiencing a 1.4-percent unemployment rate in 1971 as compared with 0.9 per. cent in 1970, while nondoctorate scientists reported a 3.5-percent rate compared to 2.9 percent in 1970.

• Scientists under 30 years of age reported by far the highest unemployment rate, 5.3 percent, of any age group.

The 5.2-percent unemployment rate for women scientists contrasts with 2.3 percent for men.

Research and development were the previous work activities of three-fifths of the unemployed scientists compared to two-fifths of all 1970 registrants.

Only 37 percent of the unemployed reported educational institutions as their previous employers, compared to 42 percent of all 1970 registrants. By contrast, 38 percent of the unemployed reported industry

'Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor (not segvonally adjusted).

and business as their last employer, compared to the 31 percent of 1970 registrants who were so employed.

• Defense and space constituted the last areas of activity of 11 percent and 4 percent, respectively, of the unemployed.

• Approximately 45 percent of the 1971 unemployed scientists reported that their last science-related employment was supported to some degree by U.S. Government funds.

• Noncitizen scientists reported a 4.2-percent unemployment rate compared with 2.5 percent for U.S. citizens.

• The average length of the period of unemploy ment experienced as of June 1, 1971, was over 7 months.

• A total of 5.6 percent of the employed scientists were engaged in nonscience-related positions, but only 1.6 percent of the total had accepted such positions since March 1970.

Unemployed Scientists

Of the 6.300 scientists who reported in the spring 1971 survey that they were not employed and seeking employment. 4.700 had been employed in spring 1970: 900 were unemployed in spring 1970; and 700 were either outside the labor force or did not report their employment status in 1970. By spring 1971, either full

or part-time positions had been found by 2,400 of the 3,600 scientists who reported in spring 1970 that they were not employed and seeking employment. Of the remaining 1,200 individuals, 300 had removed themselves from the labor force and 900 were still unemployed in 1971.

More than one-half the 6,300 unemployed reporting in the 1971 survey indicated that they became unemployed since January 1971. In the months of January, February, March, and April, more than 600 scientists for each respective month reported that month as the beginning date of their current unemployment; February showed the largest number, 1,100, becoming unemployed. The average (mean) length of unemployment for the total group, 6,300, was over 7 months as of June 1971.

Over one-half of the unemployed scientists reporting are in the fields of chemistry and physics. These two fields had unemployment rates of 3.0 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively, as compared with 1.5 percent and 2.3 percent in 1970. The field of agricultural science had the lowest unemployment rate, 0.9 percent, of any field of science included in the survey; moreover, this was a decrease from the 1970 rate of 1.1 percent. The highest unemployment rate, 4.5 percent, was reported by scientists in the field of linguistics, which was also lower than the spring 1970 rate of 5.2 percent. Unemployment rates greater than 3.0 percent were also reported for the fields of sociology, political science, and computer science. (See Table 1)

Scientists at all degree levels reported substantially higher rates of unemployment in 1971 than in 1970. Scientists holding the master's degree showed the highest unemployment rate, 3.7 percent, up from 2.6 percent in 1970. The unemployment rate for doctorates rose from 0.9 percent in 1970 to 14 percent in 1971, and from 1.8 percent to 3.5 percent for bachelor's degree holders. (See Table 2)

Scientists under 30 years of age reported an unemployment rate of 5.3 percent, which was substantially higher than any comparable age group. The majority of the unemployed scientists, over 3,800, were under 40 years of age. (See Table 3)

Preliminary data indicate that unemployed scientists who were previously employed by industry have felt the effect of the changes which have taken place in the demand for scientists more than any other group. In 1970 industry and business employed 31 percent of the scientists in the National Register; and in 1971 industry and business were the previous employers for 38 percent of the unemployed. Educational institutions, which employed 42 percent of the National Register scientists in 1970, were the previous employers of only 37 percent of the unemployed scientists in 1971. Included in the group previously employed by educational institutions were 383 individuals who stated that they held a postdoctoral appointment in 1970.

Nearly three-fifths-57 percent-of the unemployed scientists reported that their previous work activity was research and development, including management; this proportion is considerably higher than was reported for all respondents to the 1970 National Register-42 percent. Scientists engaged in R&D work were clearly more susceptible to the effects of the reduction in science employment. Contrasted with this pattern are the prior work activities of teaching and non-R&D management, which were reported as previous work activities by 17 percent and 7 percent, respectively, of the 1971 unemployed scientists. In 1970 the National Register reported 24 percent of the registrants were engaged in teaching and 13 percent in non-R&D management, which indicates that teachers and managers were not as affected by the change in science employment.

More than two-fifths of the unemployed scientists42 percent-were located in California, 1,057; New York, 633; Massachusetts, 327; New Jersey, 310; and Pennsylvania, 364. The States with an unemployment rate greater than 3 percent were Washington, 4.2 percent; California, 3.8 percent; Connecticut, 3.4 percent; Massachusetts, 3.4 percent; Rhode Island, 3.1; Arizona, 3.1 percent; and Nevada, 3.1 percent.

The U.S. Department of Labor has designated 14 areas as being severely affected by unemployment of scientists, engineers, and technicians. The unemploy ment rates for scientists in these areas vary from 5.7 percent in Orange County, Calif., to 1.7 percent in Huntsville, Ala. In each of these areas, the unemploy ment rate for all workers was higher (in some cases twice as high) than for scientists. (See Table 4)

Approximately 2,800 unemployed scientists reported in 1971 that their last science-related employment was supported to some degree with U.S. Government funds; of this number, 1,700 stated that such support accounted for over three-fourths of their work. An additional 200 reported that their previous work was supported more than 50 percent, another 200 more than 25 percent, and 300 indicated some lesser degree of support. The remaining 400 scientists either did not know the percent of support or gave no report.

The areas of previous activity of the 6,300 unemployed scientists were related to the following categories: education, 1,500; industrial products and processes, 1,000; and defense, 700. Only 300 individuals reported that their last science-related position was associated with space activity. This latter small number would imply that the space scientists in the 1970 National Register are not now unemployed to the extent that one would have expected.

Full-time positions were being sought by 4,700 of the unemployed scientists, 400 desired part-time work, while 1,200 either wanted temporary positions or gave no report.

Scientists Employed in Nonscience Positions

In order to appraise the extent to which scientists are engaging in activities outside science, employed respondents were asked to indicate if their present positions were science-related or of a nonscience nature. Of the 239,000 employed respondents, 13,500, or 5.6 percent, reported that they were employed in nonscience work in 1971. Of this number, 3,900, or 1.6 percent of the employed scientists accepted nonscience positions since March 1970. Over one-half of the 3,900 nonscience-related employed scientists left their last sciencerelated position prior to August 1970. Over 22 percent of the group held a doctorate, and the fields of chemistry, physics, psychology, and mathematics accounted for most of the scientists who have accepted nonscience

positions.

The exodus of the 3,900 scientists to nonscience positions has been from both educational institutions and industry and business. Of those leaving educational institutions, 156 indicated that they had held postdoctoral positions in 1970. The previous work activities of scientists employed in nonscience positions are similar to

those of the unemployed, e.g., research and development, management or administration, and teaching.

As was the case for unemployed scientists, most of the 3,900 employed outside of science since March 1970 were under 40 years of age, with almost one-fourth being under 30.

Explanatory Notes

These data are based upon the results of a followup survey designed to measure the changes in employment status which have taken place since the spring of 1970 for the individuals who reported to the 1970 National Register of Scientific and Technical Personnel. The National Register includes individuals who possess “full professional standing," based on academic training and work experience in the fields of science covered. An individual need not be employed as a scientist at the time of registration to be included in the National Register; however, all registrants indicated that their professional identification was with a field of science. Usable responses were received from 253,078 individuals, or 85 percent, out of the 305,402 scientists who received the questionnaire. The survey was conducted by the Foundation through a contract with the National Register Records Center at North Carolina State University with partial support from the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor.

The 253,078 respondents to this survey resemble very closely the 312,644 scientists included in the 1970 National Register with respect to fields of science, level of degree, and age. There is a slight underrepresentation in the younger-than-30 age group. The data presented are counts of responses of the scientists who could be contacted through the National Register and, therefore, should be considered minimums. The procedures for conducting the National Register and this followup survey of registrants do not permit estimation of popula tion totals.

A full report containing more detailed data on the respondents to this employment survey will be available later this year from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office.

2Questionnaires were mailed April 1st and the survey response closed for tabulation purposes on May 25, 1971.