Science Unfair Project

A new study finds that women only hold 24% of US jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and there are a number of reasons why:

Women currently hold fewer than a quarter of all STEM jobs, according to the commerce department. Their low numbers seem to start from college campuses, where women are less likely to study the sciences. In 2009, women graduated with only 27 percent of science, math, and engineering degrees awarded that year.

But getting the degree seems to be only part of the equation for women, who, even with a STEM degree, are nevertheless less likely to pursue an occupation in the sciences than are their male counterparts.

While 40 percent of men with a STEM degree will use it, only 26 percent of women do.

And the gender pay gap in the US still exists even in STEM jobs:

Compared to men holding STEM jobs, women with similar positions earn 14 percent less. In contrast, women generally earn 21 percent less than men in fields outside of science, according to the commerce department.

But where is the greatest disparity? Not between the sexes but within the ranks of women themselves, where women with STEM jobs earn 33 percent more than women who choose other industries. 

Slightly more enlightened, but it's still there.  Republicans will tell you however the gender pay gap isn't an issue in America going forward, when STEM jobs are the source of most of our innovation and competitive technology.

Even the Commerce department finds this is an issue, folks.