An Engineer Shortage?

SAE International, a professional organization for wireless engineers,  sponsored a report at the end of 2023 that says that the U.S. is already facing a shortage of engineers, and that the problem is going to get worse. According to the report, the U.S. needs 400,000 new engineers every year, but one-third of engineering jobs go unfilled, a trend expected to last through 2030. The SAE report lists some of the reasons for the engineering shortfall.

• We’ve had a longstanding cap on H-1B visas at 85,000 per year, which covers all technical positions and not just engineers.
• There is a mismatch between the engineering skills available and the demand. The report says the biggest engineer shortage is for software, industrial, civil, and electrical engineers. There is a market glut of material, chemical, aerospace, and mechanical engineers.
• SAE also sees a knowledge gap for many engineers. Many open engineering positions need engineers that are familiar with next-generation techniques.
• Perhaps the biggest problem of all is that most of the people who want to become engineers don’t make it. Only 13% of high school students who express a desire to become an engineer make it to graduation with a college degree in engineering. Even more startling, only half of those who graduate college with an engineering degree go on to become engineers, as many are lured into other technical jobs.