Chemical Engineering December 2010 - 15

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Thawing CPi
Job MaRKET
sPuRs hiREs
Cautious optimism drives modest hiring
activity in the CPI, but headwinds remain
E
ngineers and others working in
the chemical process industries
(CPI) generally are experiencing
an employment situation that is
significantly improved over 12 to 18
months ago, with a tentative optimism
among CPI companies driving significant
hiring activity. Demand for chemical
engineering skills remains strong,
reflecting the fact that the chemical
sciences represent key enablers in solving
many broad challenges, including
energy production and use, environmental
protection and sustainability.
However, the rosier outlook in the CPI
job market is tempered by considerable
uncertainty surrounding a host of issues,
including the strength of the overall
economic recovery and the possibility
of shifting governmental policy. The
uncertainty is fostering a sense of caution
surrounding workforce decisions.
Blending optimism, caution
At the broadest level, the job market
for chemical engineers and other engineers
and technical workers in the CPI
has stabilized and strengthened across
all industry segments as a wider economic
recovery has taken hold. Larry
Jacobson, executive director of the
National Society of Professional Engineers
(NSPE; Alexandria, Va.; www.
nspe.org), says " So many of today's
challenges are looking for engineering
solutions, so the demand for talented
and versatile engineers is high. "
Kevin Swift, chief economist with
the American Chemistry Council
(ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com),
describes the
prevailing attitude among chemicalrelated
business leaders as one of
" guarded optimism, " with all industrial
segments experiencing some recovery.
Still, business leaders are facing
a lot of uncertainty, Swift explains,
with many still wondering about how
changes to environmental regulations
will come about and the possibility
that countries will take legislative
action on climate change in coming
years, such as a cap-and-trade emissions
policy for greenhouse gases.
Swift's views are consistent with those
of Lawrence Sloan, president and CEO
of the Society of Chemical Manufacturers
& Affiliates (SOCMA; Washington,
D.C.; www.socma.com), who echoes the
" cautiously optimistic " sentiment based
on the positions of SOCMA member
companies. Sloan points to a wealth of
anecdotal evidence that many companies
are projecting positive growth
and are planning to hire. Sloan cites
more than a dozen examples of chemical
manufacturing companies serving
both industrial and pharmaceutical
markets that are planning to hire personnel
in the coming months, or that
have recently done so.
According to Sloan's information,
the hiring trend seems to apply to
multiple job functions. " Companies
are hiring in multiple areas - R&D
positions, manufacturing positions, as
%
%
North
America 47.1
Europe 10.0
Asia
27.1
Australia,
New Zealand,
Indonesia 2.5
Africa
4.1
South or Central
America 9.8
Educational background
%
%
Chemical
engineering 71.1
Mechanical
engineering 12.3
Environmental
engineering 1.5
Petroluem
engineering 1.1
Other
engineering 9.6
Other
chemistry 3.8
Non-technical 1.3
Figures 1-2. Respondents to the
November CE salary survey predominantly
lived in North America and Asia.
Chemical engineering was by far the
most common educational background,
followed by mechanical engineering
well as sales, technical support and
others, " Sloan says.
The SOCMA companies, which tend
to be small, U.S.-based specialty chemical
firms that serve specific industrial
and pharmaceutical markets, generally
said the salaries they would offer
new hires would match levels in the recent
past, and that their open positions
would represent a mix of experienced
and entry-level jobs. The SOCMA
membership also has concerns - for
example, over efforts to reform the
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
- but those concerns do not seem to
have dampened positive sales projections
and hiring moves.
ChemiCal engineering www.Che.Com DeCember 2010 15
http://www.ameri http://www.canchemistry.com http://www.socma.com http://www.nspe.org http://www.Che.Com
Chemical Engineering December 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering December 2010
