; (B) interpret and synthesize data displays and summaries, such as polls, surveys, and study outcomes; and (C) critically evaluate claims based on data both in consuming news media, advertising, and social media and in making personal decisions, such as those related to medical care or financial well-being. (5) Access to high-quality data science and literacy education is vital for building the United States STEM workforce and United States competitiveness in the 21st century in the following ways: (A) STEM fields are a well-known driver of the United States economy, job growth, and competitiveness. A 2022 government report from the National Science Foundation underscores this point and also notes growing STEM competition from around the globe. (B) Accessing talent and ideas from across the socioeconomic spectrum and from diverse geography is critical for building a vibrant United States STEM workforce. (C) Concerted efforts to cultivate such talent in the data-driven fields of statistics, data science, mathematical modeling, computer science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, operations research, and analytics are critical to United States competitiveness efforts. (D) Data scientist, statistician, and operations researcher roles are among the fastest growing positions in the United States. However, United States companies often struggle to fill their data scientist, statistician, and operations researcher positions, a situation not expected to change this decade. (E) The STEM workforce is projected to grow at a faster pace than the non-STEM workforce