A U.S. Department of Commerce report on the effect of STEM jobs and training points out the overall importance of maintaining an effective and vibrant STEM industry.

With the nation focused on job creation and the future of employment, many will be interested in a recent report from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, which points out the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers. Maintaining that workers in these segments of the economy drive our nation’s competitiveness by generating new ideas, new companies and new industries, the report includes the following statistics:

• In 2010, there were 7.6 million STEM workers in the United States, representing about 1 in 18 workers.

• STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17.0 percent from 2008 to 2018, compared to 9.8 percent growth for non-STEM occupations.

• STEM workers command higher wages, earning 26 percent more than their non- STEM counterparts.

• More than two-thirds of STEM workers have at least a college degree, compared to less than one-third of non-STEM workers.

• STEM degree holders enjoy higher earnings, regardless of whether they work in STEM or non-STEM occupations.

“The greatest advancements in our society from medicine to mechanics have come from the minds of those interested in or studied in the areas of STEM,” the report concludes. “Although still relatively small in number, the STEM workforce has an outsized impact on a nation’s competitiveness, economic growth, and overall standard of living. … STEM jobs are the jobs of the future. They are essential for developing our technological innovation and global competitiveness.”

To Learn More: download STEM: Good Jobs Now and for the Future