Every year, the US will need about 400,000 new engineers. Yet the next-generation skill sets that those engineers will require are sorely lacking, presenting the alarming possibility that nearly one in three engineering roles will remain unfilled each year through at least 2030.
SAE International, a professional organization for wireless engineers, sponsored a report at the end of 2023 that says that the U.S. is already facing a shortage of engineers, and that the problem is going to get worse. According to the report, the U.S. needs 400,000 new engineers every year, but one-third of engineering jobs go unfilled, a trend expected to last through 2030. The SAE report lists some of the reasons for the engineering shortfall.
Our analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data indicates that demand for engineering skills will grow by about 13% from 2023 to 2031. And the American Council of Engineering Companies, which represents nearly 6,000 firms, has issued a letter to President Biden stating that a talent scarcity in the engineering and design services industry is already impeding important work for the BBBA.
The US is not the only country facing an engineering talent shortage. For example, the Japanese Ministry of Economy has predicted a deficit of over 700,000 engineers in Japan by 2030, and the German Economic Institute reported a shortage of 320,000 STEM specialists in Germany as of April 2022.
