[Feldkurat_Katz]

Ballmer's Solution

To answer the challenge, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer last month said in New York that the U.S. must churn out more math and science graduates. That would raise the supply of computer engineers -- and push down their salaries to about $50,000 a year, he says. That's about what the average U.S. high school teacher earns.

Lowering U.S. salaries would make sending jobs to India less likely because ``the whole economics of that proposition starts to look quite a bit different,'' Ballmer said in a recent speech.

Speaking of "economics of that proposition", here we have Microsoft's CEO making an elementary mistake! Nobody is forced or predestined to study computer science; if the salaries came down to 50 k per year, smart young people would study something else instead, e.g. mechanical or chemical engineering, both of which would offer better pay. Heck, if computer engineers earned the same as teachers, then why bother to study computer engineering? It takes less effort to get an education degree, the knowledge does not become obsolete in three years and the job security is greater.

As always, you get what you pay for: in Steve Ballmer's world computer engineers would not only be cheaper but also dumber as smarter guys would have gone elsewhere.

[A. Pole]

Nobody is forced or predestined to study computer science; if the salaries came down to 50 k per year, smart young people would study something else instead, e.g. mechanical or chemical engineering, both of which would offer better pay. Heck, if computer engineers earned the same as teachers, then why bother to study computer engineering? It takes less effort to get an education degree, the knowledge does not become obsolete in three years and the job security is greater.

Good point!

[oceanview]

Ballmer isn't going to get what he wants, because at the $50K salary level, no one will invest time in college for engineering. why bother.

its happening already, most US engineering college seats are being filled by foreign nationals, the american kids are piling into law school, business, finance, education, government, etc. and frankly, I don't blame them.

and when those graduates take jobs in those fields, they will form the basis of a permanent Democratic majority in the US. Maybe as soon as Hillary! 2008.

[RaceBannon]

you guys dont get it.

IT was first, but I am NOT IT.

I am Mechanical Engineering.

And I havent worked since June 2001 in my field, and there are NO jobs being created for me now!!