Since manufacturing is being outsourced, is demand for engineers in the US a myth?
Asked by djandrey_m
I am going into engineering, but I am having second thoughts. Is there really gonna be demand for people like me? What if I get my mechanical engineering degree only to find myself unemployable?

Best Answer:
First, not all manufacturing is being outsourced. There is still and will continue to be a large manufacturing sector. Secondly, although many companies do outsource their manufacturing, they still keep the much of the engineering aspects and research & development in house. So they still need local engineers. I think you've chosen a good field.

often times products are still designed here but sent over seas for manufacture. So design engineers are still needed to design things. There are also still many manufacturing plants in the US that will need manufacturing engineers. An engineering degree is pretty flexible, you could do a lot of things with it not just manufacturing related jobs.
Answered by matt543

Obama is looking to create a lot of jobs by building roads and bridges, etc which all need civil engineers. wireless engineering and chemical engineering also have huge outlooks in the united states. i see that you're going into mechanical engineering, i know a few sophomores in this major and they have many co-op opportunities available to them, which means there is still a good demand
Answered by erratic

You need to read "A Whole New Mind" by Daniel Pink. In it he talks about how people need "knowledge that's worth more". Not just an engineering degree, but the creativity and problem-solving skills that go along with it. Sure, probably the need for Mechanical and Industrial engineers has decreased, but there is a huge need for biochemical and biomedical engineers to develop alternative energy, do DNA mapping, etc.
Answered by Skittles are M & M wannabees