Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities 2023 | NSF

The STEM Workforce Overview The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce is made up of individuals at all education levels who work in science and engineering (S&E), S&E-related, and middle-skill occupations (see sidebar The STEM Workforce of the United States). Using data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS), this section describes (1) the size of this workforce, (2) the representation of people according to sex, race, ethnicity, and disability status, and (3) how representation of these groups has changed between 2011 and 2021. Data show that although men and Whites still make up the largest share, the STEM workforce has been gradually diversifying over the past 10 years, with increased representation of women and underrepresented minorities—that is, Hispanics or Latinos, Blacks or African Americans, and American Indians or Alaska Natives. Representation in the STEM Workforce About a quarter of the U.S. workforce is employed in STEM occup...