<p>Some chemistry specialties may be doing okay, career-wise (think material sciences.) However, in my field - organic/medicinal chemistry - the recent gyrations of the pharmaceutical industry have been brutal to the careers of chemists at all levels. The consolidations, mergers, outsourcing (China and India) and subsequent downsizing of US research falities have really decimated job prospects, for now and for years to come. </p>
<p>I know there is some hiring in biotech/start-ups, but I don’t know if that’s enough. I know good mid-career chemists who have been job-hunting for 3+ years, and it’s not rosy for young PhD chemists either. I hear a lot of anecdotes about mulitiple multi-year postdocs.</p>