If you are looking for a career path that offers plenty of employment opportunities, you might want to consider pursuing a career in engineer. In fact, according to the staffing firm Manpower, engineering positions are the hardest jobs to fill in the United States for the second year in a row.

There are a number of reasons for the shortage of engineers, though one of the biggest reasons is the fact that many people are deciding to pursue liberal arts degrees rather than degrees in the math and sciences fields. This trend holds true when it comes to the other jobs made it to the top of the list of the hardest positions to fill, which include nursing and information technology staffing. Other hard-to-fill positions include teaching positions as well as machinist jobs.

Still, difficulty filling engineering positions remains at the top of the list and will likely continue to top the list for years to come. In fact, the federal stimulus program, which has called for the rebuilding of highways, tunnels and bridges, for making buildings more sustainable and for creating new sustainable energy sources will only increase the demand for qualified engineers. At the same time, many of the most experienced workers in the field are retiring, leaving even more positions left to be filled.

It may seem ironic that employers are actually struggling to fill positions during these difficult economic when unemployment rates were reported at 8.9% in April – representing a 5% increase when compared to the year before. But, the reality is that employers are struggling to fill positions within certain fields. It is important to note, however, that geography does play an important role in determining which positions are hard to fill. Whereas employers my be struggling to hire teachers in one part of the country, for example, it may be difficult for teachers to find positions within other geographic areas.

No matter how you crunch the numbers, however, the current market is definitely favoring employers. Whereas 44% of employers in the United States reported having difficulty filling jobs in 2006, only 19% of employers are reporting problems this year. Many of these open positions are within the engineering field.

If you have an interest in math or science, pursuing a career in engineering is certain a good path to follow. According to some experts, even if every seat within the nation’s engineering schools is filled, there still won’t be enough qualified engineers to fill available positions over the next several years. In addition, engineers typically enjoy a very attractive income. Although salaries are dependent upon experience and area of specialty, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that civil engineers with a bachelor’s degree earned $48,509 in 2007. Environmental engineers earned $47,960, while mechanical engineers earned $54,128 and petroleum engineers earned $60,718.