IEEE stats, 1 in 4 programmers lost job

"Contact: Chris McManes
c.mcmanes@ieee.org
IEEE-USA-Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers
US technical employment falls by more than
220,000 workers from 2000 to 2004
WASHINGTON (3 March 2005) -- The number of
employed U.S. technical workers has fallen by
221,000 in six major computer and engineering job
classifications from 2000 to 2004, according to
data compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor's
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The largest drops occurred among computer
programmers, followed by electrical and
electronics engineers, then computer scientists
and systems analysts. These declines were offset
by substantial employment increases for computer
and information systems managers, computer
hardware engineers and computer software
engineers.

"The drop in computer programmers and rise in
managers reflects the trend toward offshoring of
programming jobs and the resulting need for
professionals to manage outsourced projects,"
IEEE-USA President Gerard A. Alphonse said.

According to the BLS, computer programmers have
taken the biggest hit, with a drop of more than
24 percent -- from 745,000 in 2000 to 564,000 in
2004. In addition, the number of employed
electrical and electronics engineers shrunk by
101,000, from 444,000 in 2000 to 343,000 last
year, a decrease of nearly 23 percent. Computer
scientists and systems analysts have experienced
similar losses, dropping more than 16 percent,
from 835,000 in 2000 to 700,000 in 2004.

However, employed computer and information
systems managers have jumped from 228,000 in 2000
to 337,000 last year, a dramatic increase of
almost 48 percent. Computer hardware engineers
rose from 83,000 in 2000 to 96,000 in 2004, a
nearly 16 percent increase. Employed computer
software engineers have risen by 74,000, from
739,000 in 2000 to 813,000 in 2004, a 10 percent
increase.

The table below summarizes the BLS data:
Job Classification 2000 2004 Change Pct.
Computer Hardware Engineers 83,000 96,000
+13,000 +15.7
Computer & Info. Systems Managers 228,000
337,000 +109,000 +47.8
Computer Programmers 745,000 564,000 -181,000
-24.3
Computer Scientists & Systems Analysts 835,000
700,000 -135,000 -16.2
Computer Software Engineers 739,000 813,000
+74,000 +10.0
Electrical & Electronics Engineers 444,000
343,000 -101,000 -22.7
Total 3,074,000 2,853,000 -221,000 -7.2

Outsourcing can be domestic and is not necessarily bad. It is when the jobs go overseas.

That said, 25% is horrendous. Welcome to the new economy. Would you like to supersize your order?

I remember years ago when Ray-gun started talking about the "service economy". My mom always said that to him, that meant jobs at fast food joints for the "serfs" in his kingdom.

I was a guest speaker at a Senior Seminar. One of the questions these fourth year students had was "If IT is hurting -- where should I go?"

I gave what I thought was good advice at the time -- "Biotech."

Well, Bush "killed" stem cell research -- and now even biotech is being off shored.

When currently the US has PhDs, MS many many who are over 40
but at the top of their skills game (current) who went under
and are now working at Home Depot.

Instead of people contributing to open source for free me thinks
getting some patriotic VC's forming companies with all of these people are in order.

Right now we have VC's DEMAND, not just suggest, DEMAND a startup
offshore outsource, even when it's stupid.

If you don't outsource, you can't get your startup funding. Unreal.

I'm 16 and wanted to get into programming. That kinda scares me.

It depends on how much education you have and how much
you get paid and how much control you get of your own work.
There are also theoretical issues of what you do, high
level design vs low-level coding, but in practice, if you
are any good, you wind up doing all sorts of things, they
will get dumped in your lap in the hope you can do something
about them, whether they are appropriate or not.

You will usually be classified according to the wage that
they want to pay you or that you can command.

You really have to get that BSCS to be paid well, and then
you will almost automatically be a "software engineer" or
"system analyst". An MSCS is better. And the way things are
now you have to compete with people in the Third World who
are often very well educated, so the low-end of the business
is not too friendly these days, here. I suspect if you have
the skills, going overseas is going to be a very viable option,
and it's probably what I would try to do now.

YMMV.
http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/Y/Your-mileage-may-vary.html

a European/Indian MSc comes into the US educational system as a BS + 6 credit hours (2 classes)

yet they are using this MSc to claim it's equivalent to a US MS, which
it isn't by a long shot.

Anyway, I think it's a BS CS/EE or MA CE..something in sciences.

But, in practise I don't really have a clue what the difference is except some are just
minor "coders" versus an engineer who designs and architects.

But in terms of the US businesses...doesn't seem to matter just
how skills or how much education you have...they seem to be shitting
on people at every level except executive in general.