The Professional Computer Work Force

Employment Trends

Only a few decades ago, most computer related occupations did not exist; today, more than two million people work in such fields in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) classifies computer programmers as technicians, but due to their responsibilities, skill and pay they are discussed along with professionals in this chapter. The number has doubled within the past decade, and is expected to nearly double again between 1998 and 2008, making them the fastest growing occupations. Steady and rapid increases have typified the more highly skilled occupations such as computer system analysts and scientists. But for computer programmers, growth has been less spectacular and accompanied by periodic downturns. In fact, in seven of the final 17 years of the century, the number of computer programmers has either dropped or failed to rise. The peak of 600,000 in 1990 was not reached again until 1997, when the notorious Y2K "crisis" dictated a short-term demand for more programmers. Preliminary Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data for the first four months of 2000 show continued increases in employment for computer programmers, but at a slowing rate. (For an explanation of the erratic growth of employment for computer programmers see Meares and Sargent, 1999).

What Computer Professionals Do

Because the computer occupations are still evolving, there is, as yet, no consensus on how to classify them. A recent study coordinated by the Computing Research Association suggested that they can be organized into four categories:

• Conceptualizers: those who conceive of and sketch out the basic nature of a computer system (e.g., systems analyst, computer scientist).
• Developers: those who work on specifying, designing, constructing, and testing an information technology (e.g., computer programmer, computer engineer).
• Modifiers/Extenders: those who modify or add onto an information technology (computer programmer, computer engineer, software engineer, database administrator).
• Supporters/Tenders: those who deliver, install, operate, maintain, or repair an information technology (support specialist, network administrator) (Freeman and Aspray, 1999).

BLS describes the principal responsibilities of computer occupations as follows:

Computer programmers: write, test, and maintain the detailed instructions, called programs or software, that computers must follow to perform their functions. They also conceive, design, and test logical structures for solving problems by computer. Programmers usually know more than one programming language. Most programmers are involved in updating, repairing, modifying and expanding existing programs.

Systems analysts: solve computer problems and enable computer technology to meet the specific needs of an organization. They help an organization achieve the maximum benefit from its investment in equipment, personnel and business processes. Systems analysts may design new systems, including both hardware and software, or add a new software application to harness more of the computer's power. Most systems analysts work with a specific type of system that varies with the type of organization they work for — for example, business, accounting or financial systems, or scientific or engineering systems.

Computer engineers: apply the theories and principles of science and mathematics to design hardware, software, networks and processes, and to solve technical problems. They often work as part of a team that designs new computing devices or computer-related equipment, systems, or software. Computer hardware engineers usually design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacture of computer hardware — such as chips or device controllers. Software engineers, on the other hand, can be involved in the design and development of software systems for control and automation of manufacturing, business, or management processes.

Computer scientists: design computers and the software that runs them, develop information technologies, and develop and adapt principles for applying computers to new uses. Their jobs are distinguished by the higher level of theoretical expertise and innovation they apply to complex problems, and the creation or application of new technology. Computer scientists usually work as theorists, researchers, or inventors. Some work on multi-disciplinary projects, such as virtual reality in robotics.

Database administrators: determine ways to organize and store data. They set up computer databases and test and coordinate changes to them.

Computer support specialists: provide technical assistance, support, and advice to customers and users. This group includes technical support specialists, help-desk technicians, and customer service representatives. These troubleshooters interpret problems and provide technical support for hardware, software, and systems.

Other computer scientists: includes workers who are involved in analysis, application, or design of a particular system or piece of the system. Network or computer systems administrators, for example, design, install, and support an organization's LAN (local area network), WAN (wide area network), network segment, Internet or Intranet system. Computer security specialists plan, coordinate, and implement the organization's information security. Internet or web developers, also called web designers, are responsible for Web site design and creation (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2000–01 Edition).

Who They Are: Demographic Characteristics of Computer Professionals

The typical computer professional is a 37 year-old white man. Relatively few are elderly or teenagers. Compared to other professionals and technicians, a computer worker is less likely to be a member of a racial minority, and far less likely to be a woman.

Surprisingly, the gender gap in the computer occupations has widened since 1989 while it has been narrowing among other professions.

Where They Work: Employment in Industry and Government, and Self-Employment

The computer industry is the single most common employer of computer professionals, although two-thirds work outside the industry. Only in the case of computer engineers do as many as half work in the core computer industry. Apart from the computer industry, the employment of computer professionals is spread through so much of the U.S. economy that no single other industry employs more than a small proportion of them, although the finance industry does employ a much larger share than the others (Meares and Sargent, 1999).

The Federal government classifies the computer industry in two primary categories: manufacturing (computer and office equipment) and the much larger services category (computer and data processing services, including software and repair).

Companies providing computer and data processing services are the fastest growing employers in the United States: employment in them is projected to double between 1998 and 2008. It is important to note that computer professionals constitute half the computer and data processing services industry workforce (Career Guide to Industries, 2000–01 Edition).

A few computer workers are employed via temporary help firms or are self-employed. 2.9% work through temp firms — about the same as all workers generally (2.3%). But 8% of analysts, engineers and computer scientists are primarily self-employed — more than the average for all working people.

Computer professionals are about as likely to work for any level of government as the average worker, but they are much more likely to work for the Federal government, especially in the case of systems analysts.

Education and Training

As with all new technologies, the first cohort of professionals in the computer fields learned on the job. Because of continuing rapid technological change in these fields, this is still the case. Even today, large proportions of computer professionals do not possess degrees in any of the information technology or computer disciplines. Individuals become computer professionals by many different routes. A common one is a Bachelor's degree in a technical field unrelated to information technology, combined with specific computer course work in fields such as mathematics, electrical engineering, or business. The most popular computer-related academic majors are computer science, computer engineering, and management information systems (Freeman and Aspray, 1999).

Continuous changes in information technology necessitate ongoing career development at a pace that is almost unique in the workforce. Computer professionals are under great pressure to keep their knowledge current. For this reason, the day-to-day work of computer professionals — like that of other professionals — involves constant learning.

Almost all computer professionals have some postsecondary education, and roughly 70% of systems analysts and scientists have completed at least four years of college. These educational attainment levels have changed very slightly in the past decade. However, in programming — where the prevalence of Bachelor's degrees or more is somewhat less — a slight decline in educational attainment has been perceived.

Certification programs — which target specific types of software, programming language, computer networking, Internet facet, etc. — have become extremely important avenues for credentialing computer professionals. Even when employers do not require prospective employees to possess specific certifications, such credentials are viewed favorably as one means of gauging the qualifications of job applicants. Some product vendors and software firms offer certification, and may require professionals who work with their products to be certified. Vendors have developed more than 150 vendor-specific certification programs, with Microsoft and Novell certifications among the most popular. (Information on them is available through the National Skills Standards Website at www.nssb.org.) Unfortunately, no national data exist to ascertain the prevalence of vendor and non-vendor computer certifications.

Compensation

Computer professionals are well paid, but in recent years, their earnings growth has been only slightly better than all workers; furthermore, computer professionals are not the best paid among the technical occupations. Aerospace engineers, for example, have consistently earned more.

After adjusting for inflation, the pattern of change in earnings for computer professionals is quite uneven. Although generally rising, earnings also decline sharply. For analysts and scientists, this decline has occurred six times between 1983 and 1999 (in 1985, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1995, and 1996). During the same period, programmers experienced drops in earnings in seven years (1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1994,1995 and 1998).

It was pointed out above that women are decidedly under-represented in the computer occupations. They are significantly under-paid in these fields as well.

It has been argued that by excluding such in-kind compensation as company stock options, the research on earnings that is cited here understates the compensation received by computer professionals. However, this factor probably has less importance than some observers assume for at least two reasons. First, a very small percentage of computer professionals receive stock options. Second, a recent decline in the value of many technology stocks indicates that estimates of the true value of such forms of compensation can be difficult if not impossible to make. Despite the well-publicized existence of some young millionaires or "super stars" in the computer industry, such affluence does not characterize most computer professionals. In this the computer occupations are much like those in the entertainment industry, where a relatively few highly paid and publicized celebrities are sometimes mistakenly cited as typical in occupations that, in reality, provide very modest incomes.

Working Conditions and Patterns

In order to support arguments that Congress should provide for an expansion in the number of high-tech "guest workers" that can be imported from abroad (primarily from India), the information technology companies have loudly claimed that as of the year 2000, there is a severe shortage of computer professionals in the U.S. Though Congress, for political reasons, seems inclined to grant their request, these employers have failed to convince most observers that their claims are valid. Critics of these claims cite the fact that the professional computer occupations — computer analysts, engineers, scientists and programmers — have yet to exhibit signs of higher than average employment growth and higher than average wage growth, both of which would indicate a shortage situation (Veneri, 1999). Furthermore, patterns of wage and recruitment discrimination with regard to gender, race and age in the industry belie employer claims that they are doing all they can to attract more workers. Increasingly, observers of the information technology industries are pointing to those factors as indications that the industry seeks workers from overseas to create a surplus labor pool, ameliorate pressures for compensation increases and secure a more docile work force.

Labor Relations

It is estimated that only one in 20 computer professionals is covered by a collective bargaining contract. As the occupations grew in the 1990s, the percentage of union members in these fields failed to keep pace and fell slightly.

Outlook

As the twentieth century drew to a close, enrollment in computer science college programs rose by a whopping 30-40%. Even if one were to exclude the tens of thousands of individuals entering the computer fields with associate degrees or certifications, the annual number of college graduates majoring in information technology-related disciplines is projected to exceed the net growth of computer professional job openings by 100,000 each year. The resolution of Y2K related problems, increases in the importation of non-immigrant computer workers and the boom in college-trained computer professionals indicate that a possible glut of computer professionals may be coming. If so, the negative impact on earnings, job conditions and career development may well lead to greater interest in union membership and representation.

¹ On October 3, 2000, Congress passed a bill to increase the number of H-1B guest worker visas up to 195,000 per year plus an undetermined number who will be employed by educational institutions. This was primarily in response to months of aggressive lobbying by high tech companies claiming they need many thousands more computer programmers and software engineers but cannot recruit and/or train them from

Sources Cited

Bureau of National Affairs. 2000. Union Membership and Earnings Data Book: Compilations from the Current Population Survey, Washington, DC.

Freeman, Peter and William Aspray. 1999. The Supply of Information Technology Workers in the United States. Computing Research Association, Washington, DC.

Meares, Carol Ann and John Sargent. 1999. The Digital Work Force. U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Technology Policy.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2000. Career Guide to Industries 2000-01 Edition, Bulletin 2503, Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2000. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2000-01 Edition, http://stats.bls.gov.

Veneri, Carolyn, "Can Occupational Labor Shortages Be Identified Using Available Data," Monthly Labor Review, Vol. 123, No. 3, March 1999, pp. 15-22.