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Regional Concentrations of Scientists and Engineers in the US

Science and engineering (S&E) employment in the United States is geographically concentrated in a small number of states and several major metropolitan areas within those states, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011 American Community Survey (ACS). The three most populous states—California, Texas, and New York—together accounted for more than one-fourth of all S&E employment in the United States. Several major metropolitan areas in those states, for example, areas around Santa Clara, Los Angeles, and San Diego, all in California, and areas around New York City and Houston, together accounted for approximately 1 in 10 S&E workers nationwide. The availability of a skilled workforce is an important predictor of a region’s population, productivity, and technological growth. Workers with S&E expertise are an integral part of a region’s innovative capacity because of their high levels of skill, creative ideas, and contributions to scientific knowledge and R&D.” Beethika Khan and Jaquelina Falkenheim, Science and Engineering Indicators Program, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation, August 2013.

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