Engineering Occupational Choice, 1950–1965

This study has attempted to explain how the flow of engineers into the profession responded to market forces during the 1950–1965 period. The conventional explanation consists of two steps. The difference between the quantity supplied and the quantity demanded, at prevailing salaries, causes salary variation. Then, relative salary variations are supposed to cause supply variations. But in the case of the engineering labor market, while supplies vaned considerably, relative salaries did not. Consideration of the behavior of individuals has led us to believe that the second step of the conventional theory may be unnecessary. In a pervasively employment-conscious culture, variations in the availability of jobs seem to be a principal determinant af supply. This finding is actually quite consistent with economic theory which postulates supply as a function of expected earnings. It does suggest, however, that some consideration be given to changing the traditional emphasis from variations in earnings to variations in expectations.