However, this represents a significant decrease 

 from 1967 when the Federal share amounted to 

 44 percent. The relative decrease in federally 

 supported R&D scientists and engineers is most 

 evident in the machinery, aircraft, and motor 

 vehicle industries. As shown in the figure, 

 almost 80 percent of the federally supported 

 R&D scientists and engineers are employed in 

 the electrical equipment and aircraft and missiles 

 industries, both of which are heavily involved in 

 space and defense R&D. 



UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG SCIENTISTS 

 AND ENGINEERS 



Employment of scientists and engineers 

 during most of the 1960's rose substantially in all 

 sectors. Unemployment was low, ranging 

 around 1 percent, and for most of the period 

 remained about three-fourths of the level for all 

 professional, technical, and kindred workers, 

 and no more than one-fourth the rate for all 

 workers in the country (figure 5-16). However, 

 starting in the early 1970's, changes in the labor 



market for both scientists and engineers were 

 brought about by a series of factors — cut-backs 

 in defense and other R&D programs, the general 

 economic downturn, and the beginning of the 

 decline in academic recruiting. Thus, unemploy- 

 ment rates for scientists and engineers reached a 

 level of around 3 percent at the beginning of 

 1971. At that point, the rate was nearly as high 

 as that for all professional workers but only one- 

 half that for all workers. Early in 1972 the 

 employment situation began to improve. The 

 unemployment rate for engineers alone dropped 

 from 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 1971 to 

 under 1 percent at the end of 1973 — a rate 

 similar to that of the mid-1960's. 



In mid-1974 the unemployment rate for a 

 sample of scientists and engineers was 1.1 

 percent.-^- Of those employed, 97 percent held 

 full-time positions while 3 percent were working 



'- "National Sample of Scientists and Engineers: Changes 

 in Employment 1970-72 and 1972-74", Science Resources Studies 

 Highlights. National Science Foundation (NSF 75-309), May 

 19, 1975. 



131 



