Workers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields play a direct role in driving economic growth. Yet, because of how the STEM economy has been defined, policymakers have mainly focused on supporting workers with at least a bachelor’s (BA) degree, overlooking a strong potential workforce of those with less than a BA. A new report from the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program presents a new and more rigorous way to define STEM occupations, and in doing so presents a new portrait of the STEM economy.
![Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA 2/23/20 Part of the business district in the Shadyside neighborhood of the city on an overcast winter day](https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/shutterstock_1659089143.jpg?quality=75&w=500)
U.S. Economy
As the digitalization of work expands, place-based solutions can bridge the gaps