Engineers Feeling Less Secure

From DICE, December 19, 2008...

There was a time when becoming an engineer guaranteed respect, high pay and life-long job security, particularly in North America. That’s no longer the case. The 2008 Annual EE Times Salary Survey found engineers in North America, Europe and Japan, across a wide-range of verticals, think the profession isn’t as attractive as it once was. For instance, only 6.2 percent of respondents believe engineering is a stable profession compared to 20 years ago.

Another telling piece of data: Less than one third of North American and European respondents would recommend the profession to their children. Issues such as manufacturing globalization, outsourcing/offshoring, job security and retirement security are major sore points for engineers, no matter their location.

"The 2008 Annual EE Times Salary Survey revealed engineers have become as jittery as their counterparts in other economic segments as they brushed aside their still relatively high compensation packages to worry about turmoil on the global equity markets and the potentially negative impact on their retirement planning, career goals and even the future of any of their children who might desire to follow their professional footsteps."

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