STEM Job Growth Faster than Statewide Average

STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  If you've been part of a conversation involving education over the past few years, chances are this term has come up.  Talk has been prevalent among STEM professionals about shortfalls in labor supply in these fields.  There is much debate in this area, and while the supply of qualified STEM workers is not entirely clear, we can shed light on how many STEM-related workers are expected to be part of Oregon's future.

The Oregon Employment Department's 2012-2022 Occupational Projections tell us a number of different things about STEM-related occupations.  For example, STEM occupations are projected to grow 17.7 percent (or +33,047 jobs) between 2012 and 2022.  Breaking this growth down into more detailed areas, we get the following:

In this breakout, health practitioners and technicians are growing the most, while math science occupations are growing the fastest.  These broader fields are part of the STEM picture, but what about the more detailed, individual STEM jobs?  Here's a look at some individual occupations in the health care and computer fields:

For more information on STEM-related occupations, check out our 2012-2022 Employment Projections by Industry and Occupation.  You can get information at the statewide level, as well as the regional level.