But Where Will They Go?

While many government officials have in recent years called for US universities to train more PhD scientists, says The Washington Post's Brian Vastag, "it's questionable whether those youths will be able to find work."

Still, scientists' overall unemployment rate is much lower than the national average, though Vastag notes that is because "many scientists work outside their chosen field."

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Michael Teitelbaum tells the Post that while many scientists are indeed employed, they must often do other things because they can't find the position they spent their 20s preparing for."