LONDON, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Despite some gains by women and people of colour, most of the science and engineering positions across the United States are still taken by white males, Nature, a reputed scientific journal, has reported.

People with disabilities also continue to be under-represented in positions across the U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce, according to an article published Wednesday by Nature on its website, citing a report by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Nearly three-quarters of people in STEM jobs identify themselves as male, and almost two-thirds as white male, according to the article.

The report found that although the proportions of jobs held by these groups rose overall between 2011 and 2021, they remained lower than the groups' representation in the nation's population.

Ableism, or discrimination against people with disabilities, along with continuing physical inaccessibility of some work places, could bar scientists with disabilities from seeking or taking positions in their fields, Bonnielin Swenor, director of the John Hopkins University Disability Health Research Center in Baltimore, Maryland, was quoted as saying.