Chapter 5: The Presence and Skill Circulation of Asian Americans

Asians are expected to comprise 5.6% of the U.S. labor force by 2018; in 2010 the U.S. labor force included 7.2 million people of Asian descent (U.S. Department of Labor, 2011). Given this small number, this group of the population demonstrates a relatively high concentration of the graduates who possess diplomas in the professional and tech fields. In 2011, Asian Americans accounted for 14.5% of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, compared to those in the non-STEM workforce (4.6%, see Figure 5.1). In specific sectors and regions, like the high-tech industry in the Bay Area, the dominance of the Asian population in the workforce is more obvious. The percentage of Asian tech workers was more than 50% in 2010 for this region (Barak, 2012). This is not surprising if there is a closer examination of the number of Asian students who majored in STEM field. According to the American Community Survey, 43% of Asian college students aged 25 and older graduated with STEM majors in 2009 (Beede et al., 2011). In the STEM field, Asian Americans are concentrated on mathematics, natural science, and computer science, while their numbers have increased more broadly in STEM areas (Au, 2007).