With the current sluggish world economy, manufacturers are resorting to several tactics to maintain lean budgets. Among these tactics are outsourcing engineering and scientific jobs to nations overseas. Another, is employing only those workers who can satisfy their immediate needs. These practices have economic implications for the employers since employment decisions are determined solely by the profit/loss calculations in a time economic exigency. It also has economic implications for engineering graduates in search for jobs with salaries commensurate to their education and skills. This paper will combine the results of a survey conducted by the authors on this subject with information from recently published studies. Literature and data gathered will be organized and tabulated to find correlations between manufacturing employers' economic outlook and their hiring practices. The results will provide insight into the availability of jobs for students majoring in engineering-related degrees.
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