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1 US engineer = X Indian engineers; solve for X
October 14, 2005

In response to my September Editor's Note, Peter L. Tarver writes, "One factor I've not seen mentioned in any article I've read on the topic of convincing students to enter technical education programs, but which certain to discourage anyone, is the increasing trend toward outsourcing technology activities. If the job outlook looks bleak, why would anyone sign up for the arduous journey required for a technical degree only to become unemployed?"

I touched on the topic in a July online posting. And indeed just how bleak the American engineering prospects are is summed up in a report released this week by the National Academies.

That report concludes that for the price of one engineer in the United States, a company can hire 11 engineers in India.

Perhaps it's not surprising then that, according to the report, last year in China, more than 600,000 engineers graduated from institutions of higher education, in India, the figure was 350,000, and in the United States, the figure was only about 70,000.

Other less-than-fun facts cited in the report:

--Last year chemical companies shuttered 70 facilities in the United States and have tagged 40 more for closure. Of 120 chemical plants being built around the world with price tags of $1 billion or more, one is in the United States and 50 are in China.

--In 2001 US industry spent more on tort litigation than on research and development.

I guess from the American perspective, a legal career looks more promising than a technical one.

You can find the complete National Academies report here.

Posted by Rick Nelson on October 14, 2005 | Comments (3)