Latinos Aren't Interested In STEM Fields And That's A Problem For Everyone

While there has been some positive progress in improving interest and aptitude among students in science, technology, engineering and math careers, the number of available jobs in such fields continues to significantly outpace the number of available people qualified for those jobs, according to a new analysis.

The new US News/Raytheon STEM Index, released in April, found that STEM employment in the US has increased by more than 30 percent, from 12.8 million jobs in 2000 to 16.8 million in 2013. And while the number of undergraduate and graduate STEM degrees granted increased during that time, the proportion of STEM in terms of total degrees granted has remained relatively flat, the study found.

“Just using the government’s data, which is quite a conservative estimate, it’s clear that STEM is an important and growing part of the economy,” said Brian Kelly, editor and chief content officer of US News & World Report. “Beyond that, we know that STEM skills may be required in as many as 50 percent of future jobs.”

The research also suggests that there’s little evidence to show that government actions -- including President Obama’s 2009 Educate to Innovate initiative -- have had any significant impact. While certain areas, like the number of STEM degrees granted, STEM employment and the number of STEM-related AP tests have gone up since 2009, areas like SAT scores have remained flat while other key areas have declined, US News and Raytheon found.