There is an abundance of computer scientist positions available in the U.S. job market, according to new data.
USA Today cites several studies that show the field of computer science — which includes jobs such as software engineers and data scientists — is booming. The problem is, there aren't enough qualified graduates to fill the jobs. That has left an abundance of open positions.
"I think the demand is [high] because there is so much that can be done right now," Lawrence Birnbaum, a computer science professor at Northwestern, told USA Today. "This is a field which has been in a revolutionary state almost since its inception.
"It takes a while to get people through the pipeline. Once people decide they want to do this, it still is going to take a while to have the supply catch up. We're getting there, and it is going to continue to improve."
According to College Factual, there were just under 7,000 computer science graduates in 2016 and more than 26,000 computer information systems graduates last year.
However, an open letter penned by Code.org and the Computer Science Education Coalition last June reported that there were more than 500,000 job openings in computers in fields ranging from manufacturing to banking. With 50,000 computer scientist majors graduating yearly, there is a sizable gap.
USA Today cites additional study results that show there has been an increase in college students enrolling in computer science classes and choosing that field as their major.
"Every university in the country has seen a tremendous explosion of student demand for computer science," Birnbaum told the website.
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