News Release
Contact: Chris McManes
Senior Public Relations Coordinator
Phone: + 1 202 785 0017, ext. 8356
E-Mail:
c.mcmanes@ieee.org
U.S. Technical Employment Falls by
More Than 220,000 Workers from 2000 to 2004
WASHINGTON (03 March 2005)
— The
number of employed U.S. technical workers has
fallen by 221,000 in six major computer and
engineering job classifications from 2000 to
2004, according to data compiled by the U.S.
Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS).
The largest drops occurred among computer
programmers, followed by electrical and
electronics engineers, then computer scientists
and systems analysts. These declines were offset
by substantial employment increases for computer
and information systems managers, computer
hardware engineers and computer software
engineers.
“The drop in computer programmers and rise in
managers reflects the trend toward offshoring of
programming jobs and the resulting need for
professionals to manage outsourced projects,”
IEEE-USA President Gerard A. Alphonse said.
According to the BLS, computer programmers have
taken the biggest hit, with a drop of more than
24 percent — from 745,000 in 2000 to
564,000 in 2004. In addition, the number of
employed electrical and electronics engineers
shrunk by 101,000, from 444,000 in 2000 to
343,000 last year, a decrease of nearly 23
percent. Computer scientists and systems
analysts have experienced similar losses,
dropping more than 16 percent, from 835,000 in
2000 to 700,000 in 2004.
However, employed computer and information
systems managers have jumped from 228,000 in
2000 to 337,000 last year, a dramatic increase
of almost 48 percent. Computer hardware
engineers rose from 83,000 in 2000 to 96,000 in
2004, a nearly 16 percent increase. Employed
computer software engineers have risen by
74,000, from 739,000 in 2000 to 813,000 in 2004,
a 10 percent increase.
The table below summarizes the BLS data:
|
Job Classification |
2000 |
2004 |
Change |
Pct. |
|
Computer Hardware Engineers |
83,000 |
96,000 |
+13,000 |
+15.7 |
|
Computer & Info. Systems Managers |
228,000 |
337,000 |
+109,000 |
+47.8 |
|
Computer Programmers |
745,000 |
564,000 |
-181,000 |
-24.3 |
|
Computer Scientists & Systems Analysts |
835,000 |
700,000 |
-135,000 |
-16.2 |
|
Computer Software Engineers |
739,000 |
813,000 |
+74,000 |
+10.0 |
|
Electrical & Electronics Engineers |
444,000 |
343,000 |
-101,000 |
-22.7 |
|
Total |
3,074,000 |
2,853,000 |
-221,000 |
-7.2 |
IEEE-USA is an organizational unit of the IEEE.
It was created in 1973 to advance the public
good and promote the careers and public policy
interests of the more than 220,000 technology
professionals who are U.S. members of the IEEE.
The IEEE is the world's largest technical
professional society. For more information, go
to
www.ieeeusa.org.
###
IEEE-USA
1828 L Street, N.W., Suite 1202
Washington, DC 20036-5104
Phone: 202-785-0017, Fax: 202-785-0835
Last Update:
15 May 2007
Staff Contact: Pender M. McCarter,
p.mccarter@ieee.org
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