EDITORIAL
U N E M P L O Y M E N T IS T H E PROBLEM
I am very much concerned about the supply/demand imbalance for scientists (see my editorial in the August 1971 issue). The most reliable facts that I could find put the unemployment of chemists and chemical engineers at approximately 3% and the subprofessionally employed at approximately 2.4% (by self-evaluation). In D. A. H. Roethel’s survey (November 1971 issue) of members of the Division of Chemical Literature, the unemployment by degree was 3.6% (B.S.), 3.1% (M.S.), and 2.5% (PH.D.), or 3.1% over-all, and subprofessionally employed was 0.5% over-all (by self-evaluation). These statistics, however, do not constitute the whole picture as they do not include the many thousands of recent graduates, particularly those who received degrees in 1970 and 1971. In 1970, there were 15,792 B.S./B.A., 1665 M.S., and 2145 Ph.D. graduates in chemistry, and 6326 B.S./B.A., 952 M.S., and 430 Ph.D. graduates in chemical engineering. Of the bachelor’s degrees, only 3828 in chemistry and 3106 in chemical engineering were ACS certified. Thus, a total of 19,602 chemists and 7708 chemical engineers from the class of 1970 was added to the supply; approximately the same total from the class of 1971 was added; and only a slightly lower total is estimated for the class of 1972. It is projected that the class of 1973 will add 12,000 B.S., 2450 M.S., and 2300 Ph.D. chemistry graduates, for a total of 16,800. The supply picture is further compounded by nonchemistry graduates, such as premed, biology, physics, etc., majors, who have taken 32 or more credits of chemistry. For example, there were over 35,000 students, mostly premeds, who wanted to enter medical schools in 1971. Only 13,000 of these students could be accommodated by the medical schools. Thus, the remainder, 22,000, are seeking other careers. Many of them, probably a majority, are now in competition with chemistry majors for graduate school and for employment. If the above supply statistics are correct, then the pipe line of chemistry and chemical engineering graduates in 1971 consisted of approximately 2600 Ph.D.’s, 2600 M.S.’s, and 7000 B.S.’s (from ACS accredited schools) plus another 8000 from non-ACS accredited schools plus another 10,OOO or so of nonchemistry majors but with a t least 32 credits of chemistry. The total supply in 1971 was thus about 30,000 graduates who could become or eventually become members of the ACS. In 1971, however, there were only 2779 new ACS members. Even during the years when demand presumably exceeded supply, new ACS members averaged only about 4000.
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Journal of Chemical Documentation, Vol. 12, No. 2,1972
Because the majority of graduates who qualify for ACS membership have failed to become members, they are generally not included in ACS salary and employment surveys. Nor have these potential members been able to benefit from the many services ACS has made available to unemployed ACS members. On the other hand, I am sure that the ACS would like to know who these potential members are so they could be included in ACS surveys. I think that the only sure way for ACS to be in touch with these potential ACS members is to give them a free membership for one year on graduation., The free membership, however, should be restricted only to those from ACS accredited schools. I would anticipate a high percentage of those receiving the one-year free membership would be paying members for the second year-certainly many more than the 3000 to 4000 of recent years. Obviously chemistry departments and chemistry professors have been doing a poor job in making the chemistry majors aware of the professionalism aspects. If they had been doing a good job, new ACS members would have averaged about 10,000 per year. Whereas the ACS is concerned with and has had programs for helping in the unemployment problems of bona fide chemistry and chemical engineering graduates, the American Medical Association has assumed no responsibility for the many thousands of premeds who cannot be accommodated in a medical school. Indeed, as far as I can tell, no professional society matches the ACS in its concern, efforts, and programs for meaningful employment of its members and potential members. This involvement of the ACS in the professional problems of chemists and chemical engineers over the years may be the primary reason why the unemployment situation for us is considerably less aggravated than for other scientists and engineers. Readers of this Journal, in particular, are aware of the dedicated involvement of ACS staff from Roethel’s study reported in the November 1971 issue. A more recent indication is the proposal ACS submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Labor, NSF, and Presidential Science Advisor to set up a program of industrial internships for 1500 unemployed chemists and chemical engineers. This is a program that merits immediate action and one in which administrators of information operations can participate effectively. HERMAN SKOLNIK
