Unemployment for Electrical Engineers Reaches New Record Jul 8, 2009

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The unemployment rate for U.S. electrical and electronics engineers (EEs) hit a new record in the second quarter, while the rate for all engineers increased for a second straight quarter, according to the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

"Technology drives our economy, which means engineering unemployment is a bellwether for recovery and job creation," said Gordon Day, president of trade association IEEE-USA, which represents engineers, scientists, and allied professionals who are U.S. members of IEEE.

For all engineers, the unemployment rate jumped from 3.9% in the first quarter to 5.5% in the second quarter. The rate for computer professionals steadied at 5.4%, after a jump in the first quarter.

The BLS reports that 29,000 electrical engineers were unemployed in the second quarter, up from the first-quarter figure of 13,000.

"Taken together, these data may suggest that engineers laid off last year and early this year are having trouble securing the new engineering jobs being created," Day said.

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