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Honolulu in bottom six markets for STEM field

Erika Engle
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DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Bryan Silver taught an engineering robotics class at Kalani High School in December. Left to right: Kailer Okura, Sara Nakagaki, Bryan Silver and Vance Takiguchi worked on one of their robots.

Employment in science, technology, engineering and math in Honolulu is ranked 95th among the top 100 metropolitan statistical areas in a new study.

Personal finance site WalletHub analyzed 16 factors including percentage of all workers in STEM-related positions; employment growth in the field; quality of engineering schools and housing affordability.

Honolulu ranked dead last in the affordability of housing as well as cost of living-adjusted annual median wages for STEM workers, and below 50th in all other measures except STEM employment growth, a category in which the market placed 39th.

In per-capita job openings for STEM graduates, Honolulu ranked 54th; and the market was 56th for annual median wage growth for workers in the field. Honolulu is 58th for the percentage of all workers in STEM-related positions; 61st in the quality of engineering universities; 68th in mathematics performance by 4th and 8th-graders; and 79th in the number of projected STEM jobs needed in the year 2020.

The field of science, technology, engineering and math is expected to grow 1.7 times faster than other professions, according to the WalletHub study.

29 responses to “Honolulu in bottom six markets for STEM field”

  1. wave1 says:

    With all the brain drain Hawaii will see in the near future (and associated state tax on their wages), how will we ever pay for things like the bloated Rail, Air Conditioning (and the electric bills) in all public schools, and cost to repair roads, water and sewer systems?

  2. kalaoa says:

    Hawaii can not progress when many people are so provincial and status quo. Why need mass transit? Why spend more on acadamics than sports. Why get kids to read instead of going beach or sports participation? Why make role models only of sports and music persons?

  3. Waokanaka says:

    Another example of how the Democrats have dumbed down Hawaii and caused housing prices to soar. Only the Uber Rich can afford apartments or single family homes, Governor Ige ought to open his eyes and “see” what a disaster his term has been for Hawaii. He has done NOTHING to improve the quality of life for local residents. Rather, his dithering and indecisive nature has caused homelessness to soar, TMT to stall because of his cowardly decision making skills, UH continuing to decline, and NOW, he wants Hawaiian Electric to install AC at taxpayer cost. With a governor like Ige, who needs enemies to destroy Hawaii ???

    • allie says:

      wells aid. Ige is an old-time monopoly party guy. He thinks that the old plantation ways are best for a stupid citizenry. Democrats out here depend on fear, stupidity, poor education, low job skills and lack of quality early education to stay in power.

      • mikethenovice says:

        Allie. Stop echoing and think for yourself.

        • inverse says:

          Sounds like allie IS thinking critically when compared to what Gruber has stated. It can be the only explanation on how Oahu is building a 10 BILLION plus train to nowhere when all documented evidence, including Parsons EIS statements under both Harris and Mufi, rail will NOT improve traffic gridlock and with all certainty be a 100% failure. Also it would explain how the SA news bragged about how the Honolulu convention center is now doing so well, then just a couple of weeks ago they mention the Hawaii convention center owes over 300 MILLION in debt, principal and interest for its construction, that taxpayers continue to have to pay off. Allie’s hypothesis would also explain why so many parents work multiple jobs and sacrifice so much so they can send their kids to private schools in Hawaii, where Hawaii has one of the highest rates in the nation for private school attendance AND is one of the main reasons, besides UH Manoa, that Oahu has weekday gridlock traffic as so many students, teachers and employees are all trying to get to the Makiki/Manoa area to get to UH and all of the private schools all concentrated in a single area that the rail cannot service.

        • inverse says:

          PS: The justification to continue with the rail project is now based on a Ward research phone poll of some 400 people claiming a “majority” of people want the rail to continue?? Allie and Gruber are right.

      • boolakanaka says:

        I would say that you just described yourself….

    • boolakanaka says:

      Ignorant comment, so I am not surprised the town fop from Mandan agreed with you. If you look at the primary underpinnings of the top 25, all but a couple being in entirely democratic strongholds, is that are all tethered to large research universities and ample exposure to capital markets. In practically every instance, whether that be Silicon Valley, Austin, LA, NYC, etc…..those are ALL democratic cities. Facts, not ill informed pithy platitues…..

  4. butinski says:

    Seems the only ones wanting to go into the STEM fields are the local and immigrant Asians. You seldom see Polynesians taking the difficult courses. Instead, they are more into sports and easy courses. Any wonder why Hawaii ranks so low? Culture? Of course it is. The initiative for students to consider STEM professions lies with their parents. Like father, like son. Then the have nots grumble about how unfair life is as they compete for labor jobs. You make out of life what you put in. Nobody owes you a living.

  5. AhiPoke says:

    Not surprising as Hawaii is still governed by a plantation mentality. Despite plantations all but disappearing decades ago, our politicians have now taken the positions of the plantation owners, controlling the lives of everyone in this state. These politicians have formed alliances with public worker unions and insiders (we have no big businesses in this state) to benefit a few while ignoring the creation of a forward looking economic environment, that includes the high-tech businesses, which would benefit many.

  6. mikethenovice says:

    Hawaii dead last. SA should have only one article of that per day. You “killing ” us, SA.

  7. mikethenovice says:

    At least my puppies rate me as a first class owner. I’m blushing now.

  8. mikethenovice says:

    No wonder why my niece went back home to attend a college in the mainland from Hawaii.

  9. mikethenovice says:

    Bottom six? We still working to be the very last.

  10. mikethenovice says:

    I need a place to live with worse weather than Hawaii has, with better leadership at the top.

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