Now this should come as no surprise. Anyone involved with anything scientific knows the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Professionals have been getting the financial and career shaft for years now.

The San Jose Mercury New is reporting an alarming increase in career long technical professionals are being forced into bankruptcy.

A growing number of high-tech professionals are filing for bankruptcy, joining real estate, finance and construction workers who were in the first wave of bankruptcies last year.

Overall filings were up 50 percent to 2,399 in the first three months of this year over the first quarter of 2008, according to records of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Jose. The court covers Santa Clara, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.