Career Path Forecast
 According
to the U.S. Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
aerospace engineers are expected to have 10 percent growth in employment
over the projections decade of 2008-2018, about as fast as the average for all
occupations.
New technologies and
new designs for commercial and military aircraft and spacecraft produced
during the next decade should spur demand for aerospace engineers. The
employment outlook for aerospace engineers appears favorable. Although
the number of degrees granted in aerospace engineering has begun to
increase after many years of declines, new graduates continue to be
needed to replace aerospace engineers who retire or leave the occupation
for other reasons.
 Many
engineers work on long-term research and development projects or in
other activities that continue even during economic slowdowns. In
industries such as electronics and aerospace, however, large cutbacks in
defense expenditures and in government funding for research and
development have resulted in significant layoffs of engineers in the
past. The trend toward contracting for engineering work with engineering
services firms, both domestic and foreign, also has made engineers more
vulnerable to layoffs during periods of lower demand.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Photos are courtesy of NASA.
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