Sluggish Outlook for Chemists

For the fifth consecutive year, the job market remains depressed for chemical scientists and engineers. In this 2006 Employment Outlook, C&EN reporters attempt to give readers an overview of a topic near and dear to the hearts-and wallets-of virtually everyone.

In the opening section on demand, Associate Editor Aalok Mehta talks to the major players in both the academic and industrial job markets and reports that, in general, hiring levels for new chemists will roughly mirror those of last year or be slightly reduced in comparison. That's not good news, as last year's employment situation still showed little sign of recovery from the prolonged downturn that has been affecting the chemical industry for years now, Mehta says.

Next year's hiring forecast is complicated by a number of situations. Increasing raw material costs have hit the chemical and related industries hard. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have exacerbated an already uncertain economy by battering manufacturing facilities and oil production on the U.S. Gulf Coast. And, of keen interest to the domestic labor market, many companies are continuing to invest heavily in foreign facilities, lured by inexpensive labor and production costs. The pharmaceutical industry, which is a major source of jobs for chemists, biochemists, and chemical engineers even in difficult economic situations, seems to have slowed its growth.

There are bright spots, however: Some companies are planning to increase hiring, and universities and colleges are recruiting for some academic positions. For those jobs, applicants will need just the right mix of education and experience to garner an interview.

In this issue, C&EN Editor-at-Large Michael Heylin analyzes information from the most recent American Chemical Society salary survey. He reports that chemists who already have jobs are posting strong pay gains, but that the job market is murky. He says the mixed results of the survey are not unexpected, and not encouraging.

In this article, Heylin also gives an analysis of the general job market in the U.S. that is based on the latest information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It isn't encouraging, either, he says. BLS data indicate that since 2000 the U.S. has suffered its weakest job market in terms of job growth since the Great Depression.

He reports that the next 12 months will be crucial. A solid year of job growth would augur very well for many years of job growth. On the other hand, an employment downturn would be serious and, given U.S. employment and economic cycles, unprecedented.

C&EN Assistant Editor Rachel Petkewich looks at jobs in analytical chemistry. She reports that process analytical chemistry, chemometrics, and automation for high-throughput analysis are continuing interests in industry, as well as separations, spectroscopy, and surface analysis. Analytical chemistry specialties can lead to a number of job opportunities from research to academe to process development to sales.

Petkewich also interviewed some analytical chemists from the Smithsonian Institution, including one who recently lost his job because of diminishing budgets.

Chemical technicians, although they may not have advanced degrees, play a key role on industrial teams, focusing on the practical matters of scientific experimentation and research. Associate Editor Corinne Marasco says: Chemical technicians can take a concept and make it real. They are often the go-to' team members-operating standard laboratory equipment, performing tests and experiments, and troubleshooting production problems, as well as writing up results and delivering presentations about their work.

Many companies hire technicians at the associate's degree level; however, a few hire chemists with bachelor's degrees to fill these important roles.

Marasco interviews technicians and the people who hire them to shed light on this career option. She also compiled the latest statistics on technician jobs; these are available on C&EN Online.

Senior Editor Rick Mullin has been in touch with independent consultants in chemistry. Many of these folks are retirees with working spouses. Some are dabblers, but many are not. A few are under 40.

Building on a long career in the chemical sciences and turning this experience into a viable business can be fulfilling-and lucrative-for people who know the industry and who can market themselves.

As a special feature, this year's Employment Outlook offers C&EN Online readers a guide to job-hunting resources, which includes information on chemjobs.org, ACS Career Services, and other organizations' career websites. Recruiting websites are listed along with a number of books of interest to chemical scientists at all levels looking for jobs.