The idea that there is a “shortage” of science, technology, engineering, and math workers in the United States has become an article of faith among many journalists, industry advocates, academics, and politicians. Consequently, they believe we need to allow significantly more STEM workers from abroad to meet this unmet demand. A new report from the National Academies of Sciences again makes this argument. Despite the advocates’ claims, however, the evidence indicates that demand is not outstripping supply for workers in STEM fields.  

As Howard University Professor Ron Hira has observed, “unsubstantiated claims that there is a significant shortage of STEM talent have been a running feature of STEM workforce policy discussions” for decades. As he suggests, the most straightforward way to test for a “shortage” is to report wage and benefits trends over time in the occupations of interest. After all, if demand is really outstripping supply, employers will pay even more compensation to recruit and retain scarce workers. So, what does the data show?