Study: More minority college grads would reduce disparities in math, science jobs

Boosting college graduation rates for racial minority groups would help to reduce disparities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, according to a study released Monday by the Commerce Department. 

Only 6 percent of STEM workers are black despite the fact that blacks make up 11 percent of the overall workforce. Hispanics make up 6 percent of STEM workers and 14 percent of the overall workforce.

This gap mirrors the disparity in education levels between the groups. The researchers concluded that encouraging more minority students to go to college would lead to more minorities in STEM fields.

STEM workers earn considerably more than employees in other fields, and that wage premium is especially large for minority workers. Black STEM workers earn 39 percent more than other black workers of a similar age and education level; Hispanic STEM workers earn 36 percent more than their counterparts.

Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank said STEM jobs are the key to keeping America economically competitive in the 21st century.

“Our competitiveness as a nation depends on our ability to prepare America’s students for the jobs of tomorrow," Blank said in a statement announcing the study's findings. "That’s why the Obama Administration is so strongly committed to strengthening STEM training in the U.S.”

The report found foreign-born workers are especially likely to get STEM jobs. One in five STEM workers is foreign-born, the report found. Of those, 63 percent are Asian.

Asians hold 14 percent of STEM jobs despite only making up 5 percent of the U.S. workforce. One out of every four Asians with a bachelor's degree or higher has a STEM job, according to the report.

Whites are only slightly overrepresented in STEM jobs. They hold 72 percent of STEM jobs and represent 68 percent of the overall workforce.

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