Table 4-1. Unemployment rate among U.S. residing doctoral scientists and engineers, by fine field of doctorate: 2017

Field of study Unemployment rate
Percent SE
All fields 2.1 0.10
Science 2.1 0.10
Biological, agricultural, and environmental life sciences 2.4 0.20
Agricultural and food sciences 1.3 0.40
Agricultural sciences * *
Animal sciences S S
Food sciences and technology 1.2 0.60
Plant sciences S S
Soil sciences * *
Biochemistry and biophysics 2.6 0.50
Biochemistry 2.8 0.60
Biophysics 1.8 0.75
Cell, cellular biology, and molecular biology 2.3 0.50
Microbiological sciences and immunology 3.4 0.65
Immunology 1.8 0.75
Microbiological sciences 4.3 0.95
Natural resources and conservation 2.2 0.60
Fish, fisheries, wildlife and wildlands science and management D D
Forestry 2.9 0.80
Natural resource conservation, research, management, and policy 2.7 1.20
Zoology 2.1 0.95
Other biological sciences 2.4 0.25
Biomathematics, bioinformatics, and computational biology S S
Botany and plant biology 3.6 0.90
Epidemiology, ecology, and population biology 1.2 0.45
Genetics 1.9 0.65
Neurobiology and neuroscience 2.8 0.70
Nutrition sciences 3.2 1.05
Pharmacology and toxicology 2.7 0.80
Physiology, pathology, and related sciences 2.6 0.65
Biological and biomedical sciences, general 2.5 0.75
Biological and biomedical sciences, other 4.3 1.50
Computer and information sciences 1.7 0.40
Computer science 1.6 0.40
Information science, studies S S
Computer and information sciences, other 2.7 0.95
Mathematics and statistics 1.7 0.35
Applied mathematics D D
Mathematics 2.0 0.45
Statistics D D
Mathematics and statistics, other 2.6 1.00
Physical sciences, geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 2.6 0.25
Astronomy and astrophysics 1.8 0.55
Chemistry, except biochemistry 2.7 0.30
Inorganic chemistry 2.3 0.95
Organic chemistry 2.6 0.70
Chemistry, other, except biochemistry 2.8 0.40
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 3.2 0.55
Atmospheric sciences and meteorology 1.9 0.50
Geological and earth sciences, geosciences 3.9 0.80
Ocean sciences and marine sciences 2.5 0.70
Oceanography, chemical and physical D D
Physics 2.4 0.40
Psychology 1.1 0.15
Clinical psychology 0.7 0.25
Counseling and applied psychology 1.0 0.45
Educational and school psychology 0.9 0.30
Industrial and organizational psychology S S
Research and experimental psychology 1.2 0.25
Psychology, general 2.4 1.10
Psychology, other 2.8 0.80
Social sciences 1.7 0.25
Economics 0.9 0.30
Political science and government 1.7 0.45
Political science and government 1.8 0.55
Public policy analysis 1.3 0.60
Sociology, demography, and population studies 1.6 0.40
Other social sciences 2.4 0.40
Anthropology 2.6 0.85
Area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies 3.4 1.15
Geography and cartography S S
International relations and national security studies S S
Linguistics S S
Urban studies, affairs S S
Social sciences, other 2.2 0.55
Engineering 2.1 0.20
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 1.1 0.50
Chemical engineering 1.3 0.45
Civil engineering 1.6 0.50
Electrical and computer engineering 2.0 0.35
Computer engineering 2.0 0.85
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 2.0 0.35
Mechanical engineering 2.3 0.60
Metallurgical and materials engineering 3.5 0.70
Other engineering 2.4 0.40
Agricultural engineering D D
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 1.5 0.60
Engineering mechanics, physics, and science 2.7 0.85
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 2.0 0.80
Nuclear engineering D D
Engineering, other 4.1 1.25
Health 1.9 0.35
Communication disorders sciences and services D D
Hospital and medical administration services S S
Pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, and administration 1.4 0.55
Public health 2.1 0.90
Registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research D D
Health sciences, other 2.4 0.60