Recent Study Examines Trends in Science and Engineering Ph.D.'s
Immigrants and non-permanent residents represent 60% of Canada’s total employed science and engineering doctorate degrees, according to a recent Statistics Canada study. This is notably higher than the 20% share of science and engineering Ph.D.'s from the overall employed population. According to a new study, there were just over 100,000 employed Ph.D.'s in 2001, of which 57% were science and engineering doctorates.
Employing 2001 Census data, the Statistics Canada study “Where are the Scientists and Engineers?” examines the labour market characteristics of Canada's scientists and engineers based on their major field of studies and highest degree obtained.
Nearly 23,000 immigrants with Ph.D.'s came to Canada during the 10-year period prior to the 2001 Census. Of this number, about 18,000 (78%) of these were science and engineering Ph.D.'s. Asia, in particular China and India, has been the major source of foreign-born Ph.D.'s since the beginning of the 1980s. The U.S. and the U.K. were the two dominant sources prior to 1981.
Canada produces proportionately fewer graduates with degrees in science and engineering than other G-7 countries, with Canadian-born Ph.D.'s holding degrees predominantly in the non-science and engineering fields. The lower number of Ph.D.'s in science and engineering has meant that Canada has become increasingly reliant of the rest of the world’s supply of Ph.D.'s in these fields in order to fill its industrial science and engineering demands in an increasingly global market.
Among other key findings was the risk of a looming age replacement shortage of science and engineering university professors. There is less than one professor, aged 35 to 44, to replace every professor nearing retirement age. Also, women were indicated to be under represented in science and engineering, particularly in engineering where they represent one out of every 10 Ph.D.'s, despite the increase in the proportion of women at the doctorate degree level to 27%, up 15 percentage points from 25 years ago.
The survey also examines trends in geography and age characteristics, employment levels, and occupation. Copies of the report are available on the Statistics Canada website at www.statcan.ca/bsolc/english/bsolc?catno=88F0006XIE2007002.