Total number of software engineering jobs declined 15% in last 4 months!

[dumpster_baby]

Software engineers, our profession is dying. According to government data, the total number of software engineers working in America declined by 15% in the 2nd quarter (from March to June) of 2004.

Read 'em and weep:

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It is really disturbing that this job loss may have occurred in the absence of a recession. The conventional definition of recession is two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. However, on July 30 the Bureau of Economic Analysis released the revised GDP data for 2001, and the recession, as conventionally measured, has disappeared. The revised data does not show two consecutive negative quarters, and for 2001 the economy grew 0.8%. Did we experience not only a job loss recovery, but also a job loss nonrecession?

There was no recession in the second quarter of this year, but BLS data show 131,000 fewer American computer software engineers employed in the second quarter than in the first quarter of 2004--a decline of 15% in three months. Employment of computer scientists and systems analysts declined by 51,000 in the second quarter. Employment of computer programmers fell 16,000.

The decline in high-tech professions in the US is also reflected in the collapse in computer engineering enrollments in America’s premier engineering schools. Over the past several years, M.I.T., Georgia Tech, and UC Berkeley have experienced computer engineering enrollment declines of 43%.

More unprecedented bad news comes from the Internal Revenue Service. For the first time ever, the real incomes of Americans shrank for two consecutive years. In 2002 Americans reported 9.2% less income than in 2000.
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More from Vdare (warning: a right wing paleo-conservative website):

http://vdare.com/roberts/colossus.htm

[brokensymmetry]

1. The whole of America is dying.

Please, name any area of employment that isn't in trouble!

Thought I must confess, seeing enrollment down 43%, as you mention, amazes me. I see some anonymous American, sitting in the middle of devastation, looking out in despair, and asking "My God, what have we done?"

[nini]

2. As a programmer.. this makes me sick

I've been working on changing careers anyway, but not being able to count on my 15 years experience sucks big time.


:-(

[Strelnikov_]

3. Hate To Say It, But That Article Is Right On Target

with respect to the economy. There are structural changes taking place for the worse that most economists do not try to understand. It is easier just to say "outsourcing strengthens our economy and ultimately creates jobs" and throw out century's old theory by Smith and Ricardo.

The whole thing reminds me of the South Park episode with the underpants gnomes.

Collect Underpants --> ? --> Profit!!!

[Must_B_Free]

4. Does not compute for me.

contracts are plenty in my field.

I go by how many hits I get on the job boards and right now there are tons.

[dumpster_baby]

6. "Who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes", huh?

I think I am going to go by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, thanks. And as for my personal experience, I cannot even get an interview as a SW Engineer anymore, with a degree and 2 years experience as a tech writer. The only interview requests I have gotten in my job search have been for teaching jobs, something I have not done in 10 years.

[NuttyFluffers]

5. if i could employ them all...

i would work them on making a complex AI program that could replace CEO and other managerial positions...

but then this is probably why god hasn't made me a billionaire - i would be too dangerous with money, society would change too fast.

[LordActon]

8. nooo

NuttyFluffers, you don't need to to hire anyone to write a complex AI program to replace CEOs and managers. The program would be quite simple :

while (investorsStupidEnoughToPayMe) {
collectPaycheck();
tellBoardAboutLayoffStrategy();
workWithAccountantsOnHidingLosses();
playGolf();
launderMoney();
moveJobsOffshores();
seekTaxShelters();
giveSelfPayRaise();
}

[NuttyFluffers]

10. sweet! let's go market this!

i'm thinking about asking $1 million per copy of this program. it'd be an annual savings to companies in excess of $20 million a year - greater than any other cost cutting measure for such a small solution.

k, i'll go draw on a cardboard box for packaging and call some CEOs, you go write this up on a 5 1/2" floppy (in Assembly - it'll wow the board of directors). We're gonna be rich!

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bridget Burke]

9. So we should get by on 1/8 the pay? (If a job is available at all.)

On that amount, you can't find a decent apartment--forget a house.

And no car. Too bad there's not much public transit available.

Expensive jewels? Give me a break.

[Protected]

11. Got my computer science BS degree in 2003

so far I've made about $500 off of it. I've been looking for an entry-level job for months, though now I understand why I'm constantly coming up empty.