STEM Jobs See Uneven Progress in Increasing Gender, Racial and Ethnic Diversity
The higher education pipeline suggests a long path is ahead for increasing diversity, especially in fields like computing and engineering.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
The higher education pipeline suggests a long path is ahead for increasing diversity, especially in fields like computing and engineering.
About nine-in-ten (88%) Americans say, overall, the benefits of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella outweigh the risks, identical to the share who said this before the coronavirus outbreak. U.S. adults are less confident in COVID-19 vaccines: Fewer than half rate them as having high health benefits and a low risk of side effects.
Large majorities value government investments in science and consider it important for the United States to be a world leader in scientific achievement, but few think the country is gaining ground globally.
Trust in scientists and medical scientists has fallen below pre-pandemic levels, with 29% of U.S. adults saying they have a great deal of confidence in medical scientists to act in the best interests of the public. This is down from 40% in November 2020 and 35% in January 2019, before COVID-19 emerged. Other prominent groups – including the military, police officers and public school principals – have also seen their ratings decline.
Among Americans who have heard about AI programs that can write news articles, 16% describe this as a major advance for the news media.
Two-thirds of Americans say the United States should prioritize developing renewable energy sources over expanding the production of fossil fuels.
Large shares of Americans support the U.S. taking steps to address global climate change and prioritize renewable energy development in the country. Still, fewer than half are ready to phase out fossil fuels completely and 59% oppose ending the production of gas-powered cars.
73% say they are vaccinated, but at least half express confusion, concern over vaccine information and health impacts.
Black and Hispanic workers remain underrepresented in STEM jobs compared with their share of the U.S. workforce.
Majorities of Americans say the United States should prioritize the development of renewable energy sources and take steps toward the country becoming carbon neutral by the year 2050. But just 31% want to phase out fossil fuels completely, and many foresee unexpected problems in a major transition to renewable energy.
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