IEEE USA News
 IEEE-USA
1828 L Street, NW, Suite 1202 - Washington, DC 20036-5104
Tel: +1 202 785 0017 - Fax: +1 202 785 0835
Web: https://www.ieeeusa.org
 
Greg Hill, Member & Electronic Communications Coordinator
g.hill@ieee.org, 202-785-0017, ext. 8335 www.ieeeusa.org
 
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CONTENTS
- IEEE EAB Links
- Engineers Receive Mixed News on Employment
- IEEE-USA TODAY'S ENGINEER
- ENGINEERS SEEK SUPPORT FROM CONGRESS TO COMBAT UNEMPLOYMENT, TAKE MESSAGE TO CAPITOL HILL
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IEEE EAB Links
Did you know the new IEEE Center for Education and Training (ICET) was open
for business? ICET has a relational database to search for courses
available through IEEE.
Or that over 17 universities and corporations offer IEEE members 10%
discount on their courses? IEEE Education Partners include MIT, Drexel, and
Stevens Institute of Technology.
Or that Sections from the US, Canada, and South Africa have influenced
thousands of pre-college students through participation in the Teacher
In-Service Program (TISP)? Find out how to join at the TISP website
training.
 
There are many new things going on at Educational Activities. Link to
Educational Activities from your homepage and be sure your members are
getting all the news on continuing education, pre-college activities,
accreditation and awards.
 
Link to EAB at https://www.ieee.org/organizations/eab/newswire.htm. A link to the EAB
newswire will keep your members up to date with what's happening,
https://www.ieee.org/eab/newswire.index.htm.
 
Sincerely
Lynn Murison
Outreach Coordinator, IEEE Educational Activities
www.ieee.org/organizations/eab/
 
 
Engineers Receive Mixed News on Employment
While the unemployment rate for engineers fell for the first time
since early 2001, the number of engineering jobs also dropped

below 2 million for the first time in five years.

 
The unemployment rate for all engineers declined from 4.0 percent in
the second quarter of 2002 to 3.4 percent in the third quarter, according
to figures released last week by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of
Labor Statistics. The good news was offset by a substantial drop in
engineering jobs, which fell from 2,027,000 to 1,923,000.
 
Of the major engineering disciplines, mechanical engineers were the
hardest hit, losing 49,000 jobs. Aerospace engineers lost 26,000 jobs.
 
"The very significant decline in the number of engineering jobs is a
major concern for all of us," IEEE-USA President LeEarl Bryant said. "We're
not sure if these jobs will return when the economy turns up, or if they've
been exported to lower-cost overseas locations."
 
For electrical and electronics engineers, the jobless rate fell from
an all-time high of 4.8 percent in the second quarter to 4.0 in the third.
Although the rate improved, it is still more than three times as high as it
was for the same quarter of 2000 (1.3 percent). Engineering jobs totaled
2,164,000 at that time.
 
The overall unemployment rate decreased by one-tenth to 5.3 percent.
 
The number of jobless computer scientists and systems analysts also
declined, from 95,000 (5.3 percent) in the second quarter to 84,000 (4.6
percent) in the third. At the same time, the number of employed workers in
these fields increased by 35,000 to 1,717,000.
 
IEEE-USA's Bryant is unsure if the lower unemployment rate is an
aberration or a trend.
 
"Despite the hopeful talk about the recession being over, U.S.
engineers and computer scientists aren't out of the woods yet, not by a
long shot," she said. "The fourth quarter is always a prime time for job
cuts, and outplacement firms are already reporting a lot of corporate calls
about their fall layoff plans."
 
 
IEEE-USA TODAY'S ENGINEER

The October 2002 issue of IEEE-USA TODAY'S ENGINEER is now live on the web!

To read the new issue, visit: https://www.todaysengineer.org

 
 
ENGINEERS SEEK SUPPORT FROM CONGRESS TO COMBAT UNEMPLOYMENT, TAKE MESSAGE TO CAPITOL HILL
 
WASHINGTON (25 October 2002) -- On 21 October, IEEE-USA President LeEarl
Bryant and U.S. IEEE Member Stephen Morton distributed more than 500
leaflets, titled "American Engineers at Risk," on Capitol Hill in
Washington, D.C. According to Bryant, the purpose of the distribution was
"to raise awareness and gain support for IEEE-USA efforts to reduce
joblessness among engineers."
 
IEEE-USA's recommendations on how the U.S. Congress can help solve the
growing unemployment problem include: reducing the annual H-1B visa quota;
redirecting H-1B visa funded skills training programs to aid displaced
engineers; and jump-starting the economy.
 
The leaflet also identified key factors contributing to the engineering
employment crisis, including include: increasing dependence by employers on
temporary guest-workers; perma-temping (or substitution of part-time
contract workers with few benefits for full-time employees with health and
retirement benefits); and outsourcing of engineering jobs to low cost,
offshore locations.
 
IEEE-USA is an organizational unit of The Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers created in 1973 to promote the careers and
public-policy interests of the more than 235,000 electrical, electronics,
computer and software engineers who are U.S. members of the IEEE. The IEEE
is the world's largest technical professional society. For more
information, go to https://www.ieeeusa.org.
 
Please find attached a photo of IEEE-USA President LeEarl Bryant (right)
and U.S. IEEE Member Stephen Morton (center) distributing leaflets at the
Capitol South Metro Station in Washington, D.C.
 
This release can also be found online at:
https://www.ieeeusa.org/releases/2002/102502pr.html
 
 
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  Updated 11/17/02