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The future of education, research and employment in physics has been under much discussion lately. Contrary to many glowing predictions in the mid-1980s, physicists graduating today face a severe shortage of jobs. Recalling comments such as one made by Malcolm Beasley and Lawrence Jones (PHYSICS TODAY, June 1986, page 36) that “It appears that the overall demand will more and more exceed the supply in the coming decade” reminds us just how much the situation has changed. Many solutions are being proposed. Articles relating to jobs and offering employment advice proliferate in the publications of our scientific societies. The situation is similar in other countries.
W. P. Wolf (Sat,) studied this question.