Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Employment in Higher Education Declines in Q1 2015; Ads for Part-Time Positions Outpace Full-Time Job Postings

  • 05/26/15

STATE COLLEGE, PA – The number of jobs in higher education declined 0.5 percent in Q1 2015, according to a recent report from HigherEdJobs, a leading job and career site for higher education professionals.

According to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data by HigherEdJobs, the 0.5 percent drop in higher education employment represents a loss of 8,600 college and university jobs. Community colleges were particularly hard hit, losing 3.8 percent of their workforce, or about 2,700 jobs. Four-year institutions lost only 0.3 percent of their faculty and staff, or about 5,900 jobs.

Interestingly, while the number of jobs in higher education is down, the report found that ads for open positions in academia were up during Q1 2015, and at a faster pace from a year ago.

The divergence of trends between job postings and higher education jobs could indicate that institutions are experiencing increased employee turnover, perhaps due to retirement, moving to other institutions, or for positions outside of academia. “When institutions have a lot of job openings, it doesn't necessarily mean those are ‘ew jobs,’”says John Ikenberry, president of HigherEdJobs. “A high percentage of these openings are for existing positions that have come open. When institutions don't fill their vacancies fast enough to keep up with the number of employees who exit, employment will decline.”

There was good news for individuals looking for full-time faculty positions, as ads for those positions increased 2.7 percent from a year ago. However, that growth was dwarfed by the increase in ads for part-time, adjunct faculty, which surged 37.4 percent.

The report analyzes the most current data from BLS and HigherEdJobs' posting trends from colleges and universities that have continuously subscribed to the company's unlimited posting plan for four years, a group of roughly 890 schools that have no financial deterrent not to post any openings. View the full report.

HigherEdJobs® is the leading source for jobs and career information in academia. During 2014, over 5,300 colleges and universities posted more than 159,000 faculty, administrative, and executive job postings to the company's website, which receives more than 1,000,000 unique visitors a month. HigherEdJobs is published by Internet Employment Linkage, Inc. and is headquartered in State College, PA.

Featured

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Illinois District Boosts Security at High-School Stadium

    Richmond-Burton Community High School in Richmond, Ill., recently announced that it has completed the redesigned entrance to its high school stadium with a new focus on school security and community engagement, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers on the project as part of District #157’s year-long facilities master plan.

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.