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Harlan F. Reese, a small-molecule research chemist at Roche, concurs. “For anybody in chemistry or in drug discovery, this is the most tumultuous period I have seen during my career—resulting in the relocation of human capital all over the country, all over the world,” says Reese, who has not been without work as an organic process chemist for 36 years. But he’ll lose his job in January when Roche shutters its Nutley, N.J., site. As a result, he laments that he may have to relocate away from his wife and daughters for the second time in his career.
seems like Poor Chemist from here had to make the same decision, minus the family (don't remember him being married yet)
Not really news. The Chemical industry has been in decline for some time and big Pharma as well has been hemmoraging scientists. One has to wonder if the people screaming about a shortage of scientists are retarded or specifically out to create a huge oversupply of desperate workers that will put up with the poor employment conditions they offer. I work in food and flavors which is somewhat more stable.
Overall though I'd encourage smart young Americans to avoid the sciences for careers.
2016 and chemical companies are still laying off left and right. Those 200 jobless scientists are now going to have to fight tooth and nail to find any kind of science job and may be taking a significant pay cut. Chemistry and other STEM fields are such a dead profession.
I hope and pray the generic pharmacetuicals company I work doesn't do any lay offs. I won't even bother trying to find another science job if I get laid off my current one.
SCience careers are severely overrated!
Last edited by Poor Chemist; 01-17-2016 at 01:52 PM..
time to invest in dupont stock then?
seems like Poor Chemist from here had to make the same decision, minus the family (don't remember him being married yet)
I'm not married so moving to West Virginia wasn't an inconvenience for me but for the scientists with a wife and kids moving may be a hard pill to swallow.
What if the spouse can't find a new job in the state the lay off spouse had to relocate to get another job?
How can I advise anyone to go into science if the profession is so unstable. Science is swamped with lay offs and some unemployed scientists either have to move to another state to find a job or take a low paying temp job. Science isn't the glamorous profession the media makes it out to be.
How can I advise anyone to go into science if the profession is so unstable. Science is swamped with lay offs and some unemployed scientists either have to move to another state to find a job or take a low paying temp job. Science isn't the glamorous profession the media makes it out to be.
the problem is that you can say that about the majority of professions....
so where do you point them? If you say science is no good, then what? Programming? Just as easily outsourced these days. Sure they have high salaries for now, scientists had their day in the past. But you can't say comp sci will be the same going forward either. A good what 10-15 year run then a crash? The dot com bust hurt that industry... the oil prices today hurt the oil workers now.
I still like stem and think the jobs are good. I get that it isn't as great as people imagine it, but well... those ideas of the job most likely weren't realistic to begin with to be honest. The salaries are still good, solid middle class with chances to move into upper class.
My hometown is the headquarters of Eastman Chemical. I'm 29, and when I was a kid, Eastman employed many chemists and hard science professionals, as well as local labor of all types.
Go forward to today, and many of those positions no longer exist or are outsourced to vendors at a fraction of the wages Eastman pays. Payscales at those vendors are actually less than Eastman employees fifteen or twenty years ago in a lot of cases. In addition, whereas Eastman used to hire people from local schools, they only want the most prestigious new graduates now.
It seems to be working for their bottom line, at least for now, at the detriment of the town and its residents.
Glad I lost my interest in chemistry when I was 8, and my deepest sympathies. I'd be happy to advise on many better career opportunities that exist in this fine country, if interested. Like welfare recipient. Or professional vagabond. Previous panhandling experience can really take you places.
I'm glad I'm not a chemist, and my deepest sympathies. I'd be happy to advice on many better career opportunities that exist in this fine country, if interested. Like welfare recipient. Or professional vagabond.
If some of the pay scales I've seen for chemists on this forum are to be believed, I know higher paid call center reps.
If some of the pay scales I've seen for chemists on this forum are to be believed, I know higher paid call center reps.
I know many companies paying CNC and laser operators (with no HS diploma) 18-20 bucks an hour. They just have to not smoke pot around the premises, and not enrage an old timers. Some of these people smell like strippers and booze after lunch.
The college graduate bubble has officially popped.
Merca.
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