rondemarino wrote:
swheat wrote:
irishman86 wrote:
2) There is an excess demand for science majors right now, i.e. nursing, engineering, etc. (Business is obviously on a downturn like law at the moment.) We have enough excess supply of liberal arts majors relative to demand and excess demand for science majors relative to supply to allow for a shift to the latter fields without decreasing market salary all that much, at least until we hit what is pareto optimal.
An excess demand for engineers? Really? Not in Silicon Valley there isn't
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 170O6S.DTLThat link is from April and I am certain the job market has not improved.
I hate that this is the best I could find, but I don't feel like more than a cursory google search today (
link). Defense-related industries in SoCal are booming. Even established companies like Qualcomm are doing fine. Startups got killed, though (this might explain the "mood" in the Bay Area since its a more sensitive to startups).
Economic growth in America, in the long run, is going to depend on our ability to generate new ideas and technology. If anyone thinks science and engineering are bad or shrinking career avenues, buy canned goods. NOW. Also, people exaggerate the impact of outsourcing. At the margins, some jobs are going to be lost to emerging economies in Indian and China. Its how shit works. Stuff is invented here. Other countries catch up. Different stuff is invented here. Other countries catch up. Its a boring re-run.
EDIT: I'm still having a hard time buying the idea that the demand for engineers in Silicon Valley is low. A lot of the people I know graduating from UC San Diego are moving to the Bay Area for work. Maybe EEs are just having a good run.
rondemarino wrote:
Its pretty stupid to get a well rounded education in college with a liberal arts degree. Who wants people who actually know how to think? Id much rather have people trained to do a skill that will be shipped abroad in the next few years.
So I guess we should just wait and see which college majors produce more favorable fruits of labor for America's future?
My hard science major predictions:
1. New and improved computer software
2. New energy production technology
3. More sophisticated weapons and machinery for the military
4. Life extending and life enhancing medical technology
5. Robots that that are hot and do house chores.
My B.A. major predictions: 1. More books written by professors about obscure historical/social topics that no one will read (except other B.A. professors)
2. New social theories on how to interpret these books covering obscure historical/social topics that no one will read
3. More weekend conferences held on the sociological implications of these new theories that interpret the new books written on obscure historical/social topics.
4. Books written B.A. professors about conferences that investigated new books written by B.A. professors.
Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 10:19 pm 
