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.
![](https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/rural-utah.jpeg?quality=75&w=500)
Housing
Policy innovations that strengthen rural capacity to access investment