Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) experts are the future U.S. immigrants.
What is STEM?
Recently, the determination to push STEM programs has been higher than ever. The acronym STEM refers to the academic studies of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Advocates for these studies strive to emphasize the role STEM education plays in enabling the U.S. to remain the economic and technological leader of the global marketplace. However, even with a complete education overhaul combined with incentives for students, the reality is that more Americans will still prefer to study something else. So, how is the U.S. going to achieve this goal? One answer is through immigration.
STEM | How Immigrants Benefit You
According to the New American Economy, nearly every state’s share of foreign-born students in STEM graduate programs at local universities is much higher than the share of foreign-born people in that state’s population. For example, for PhD students in engineering, foreign students accounted for more than half of the department’s students in nearly every state.
Let’s put these statements into perspective by using the example of Seattle, Washington. The city is home to a population of 7.062 million people, and is known for its thriving tech industry, coffee, and rainy weather. Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population in WA increased by almost 49%. That is to say about 918,000 people, or 13.4% of the state’s total population, were foreign-born. In 2010, one in five STEM workers in the state with an advanced degree was foreign-born, subsequently creating 262 new jobs for Americans and ultimately boosting employment in Washington.
STEM | Growth by Immigration
Let’s look at another state – Massachusetts, which is home to 6.745 million individuals. The state accounts for a total of 984,803 foreign-born residents or 14.9% of the population, with the majority of immigrants coming from China, Brazil and Portugal. As of 2009, an impressive 40% of the students earning master’s degrees or PhD’s in STEM fields were foreign-born pupils. Additionally, nearly half – 49.1% – of students with a PhD in engineering were immigrants with temporary or permanent residency in the U.S.
Between 2008 and 2018, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) industries will play and do play a critical role in the growth of the US economy by adding jobs roughly 73% faster than the rest of the economy. Immigrant students are creating jobs, fomenting innovation, and conducting research that drives American economic growth. Without immigration, the U.S. would not remain the global leader economically or technologically.
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