In a recent report, the US Department of Commerce's Economics and Statistics Administration says that throughout the last decade, "growth in STEM jobs was three times as fast as growth in non-STEM jobs." Further, the administration notes that "STEM workers are also less likely to experience joblessness" and tend to make more money (26 percent more, on average) than workers in other fields — likely because more than two-thirds of STEM workers have a bachelor's degree or higher, it says. Notably, the Economics and Statistics Administration, or ESA, says that those who hold STEM degrees tend to "enjoy higher earnings, regardless of whether they work in STEM … occupations." In its report, the ESA also predicts a 17 percent growth in the US STEM workforce during the period of 2008 to 2018. Overall, the administration says that "although still relatively small in number, the STEM workforce has an outsized impact on a nation's competitiveness, economic growth, and overall standard of living."