A new report from the National Science Foundation shows that in 2008 there were 19,400 employed African Americans who held doctorates in the sciences, engineering, or health fields. They made up just 3 percent of all employed people who had doctorates in these fields.
Of the 19,400 employed African Americans with scientific doctorates, 11,200, or 57.7 percent, held academic jobs. Slightly less than 20 percent held jobs in business and industry.
For whites with doctorates in the sciences, 44.7 percent worked as academics, whereas 32.8 percent were employed in business and industry.
Nearly 13 percent of blacks with scientific doctorates were employed by the government, compared to 9.6 percent of whites with scientific doctorates.
