crease in the 1960's. Such enrollments in 

 science and engineering, as a percent of total 

 graduate enrollments, declined steadily from 

 38 percent in 1963 to 31 percent in 1970. 



D The number of full-time graduate students 

 in science and engineering receiving Federal 

 support declined by 15 percent between 

 1969-71, while those depending on self- 

 support increased by 19 percent from a lower 

 base. 



D Annual awards of bachelor's level degrees in 

 science and engineering increased by a factor 

 of 2.2 over the 1959-71 period, with the 

 largest gains in the social sciences (4.1 times) 

 and the smallest in the physical sciences (1.3) 

 and engineering (1.2). First degrees in sci- 

 ence and engineering, as a fraction of all 

 bachelor's level degrees, remained essen- 

 tially constant at 30 percent, due in large part 

 to the rapid growth of social science degrees. 



D Annual awards of master's degrees in science 

 and engineering rose by a factor of 2.5 over 

 the 1959-71 period, with the largest gains in 

 mathematical sciences (3.8) and social sci- 

 ences (3.1) and the smallest in the physical 

 sciences (1.9). Science and engineering mas- 

 ter's degrees, as a fraction of all master's de- 

 grees, declined from a high of 30 percent to 



22 percent in 1970-71, with the largest 

 proportional declines occurring in engi- 

 neering and the physical sciences. 



n Annual awards of Ph.D. degrees in science 

 and engineering rose by a factor of 3.0 over 

 the 1959-71 period, with the largest gains in 

 engineering (4.6) and mathematical sciences 

 (4.4) and the smallest in the physical sciences 

 (2.4). Science and engineering Ph.D. de- 

 grees, as a fraction of all Ph.D. degrees, de- 

 clined from 62 percent in the mid-1960's to 

 58 percent in 1970-71, with the largest 

 proportional declines in the physical sciences. 



D During the last decade, awards of science and 

 engineering doctorates, in terms of location 

 of high school graduation, became more 

 evenly distributed among geographic regions 

 of the United States. The proportion, how- 

 ever, is almost 50 percent lower in the South 

 Atlantic and East South Central regions than 

 in other areas of the country. 



a Unemployment rates for scientists and engi- 

 neers rose after 1969, reaching 2.6 and 2.9 

 percent, respectively, by early 1971. These 

 rates — which were less than half those 

 reported for all workers — declined to early 

 1970 levels by late 1972. 



■ Substantial changes in the demand for scien- 

 tists and engineers, which may be produced by 

 factors such as a redirection in Federal funding 

 or the state of the national economy, may occur 

 over periods of from two or three years. But be- 

 cause scientists and engineers require training 

 extending over several years, serious im- 

 balances of supply and demand, inadequacies of 

 training, maldistributions among areas of 

 competence, and similar problems may be cor- 

 rected only over a longer five- to ten-year span. 

 Therefore, the extended time and high cost in- 

 volved in producing scientists and engineers re- 

 quire that careful, continuous attention be given 

 to the nature, quality, and applicability of their 

 professional training. 



CURRENT POOL OF 

 SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERSi 



Magnitude 



The total pool of active scientists and engi- 

 neers in the United States grew by some 50 per- 



cent between 1960 and 1970, rising from about 

 1,170,000 to more than 1,700,000 (figure 35). (It 

 is estimated that by 1971 this number had fur- 

 ther increased to about 1,750,000.) This rapid 

 growth was due to an increase in science and 

 engineering degree holders and to the "up- 

 grading" of nondegree personnel, principally 

 engineers. From 1960 to 1970 scientists and 

 engineers with doctoral degrees increased from 

 90,000 to over 170,000. The number of engi- 

 neering doctorates tripled during this period, 

 while science doctorates increased by about 75 

 percent. As a result, the percentage of scientists 

 with doctoral degrees remained almost con- 

 stant during the past decade, while the percent- 



' Information on the current numbers, types of employer, 

 employment activities, etc., of scientists and engineers must 

 be assembled from numerous data sources. Since not all of 

 these are updated annually, it is possible to develop the latest 

 complete picture only for 1970, even though many pieces of 

 this mosaic are already available for 1971. Unless otherwise 

 specified, scientists and engineers include the natural scien- 

 tists (including mathematicians), social scientists, and engi- 

 neers. 



49 



