Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Public Higher Ed Employment Outperforms Private in Q4 2016 While Job Postings Decline

  • 06/29/17

STATE COLLEGE, PA – The total number of jobs in higher education decreased incrementally in 2016 as public institutions outperformed private institutions, according to HigherEdJobs, the leading job and career site for higher education professionals.

According to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data by HigherEdJobs, higher education employment decreased 0.1 percent, or roughly 5,900 jobs, during the fourth quarter. This is the first decrease in higher education employment for the fourth quarter since at least 2010. The decline was driven by employment losses at private colleges and universities, which lost about 10,300 jobs, representing a 0.7 percent decline in private sector higher education jobs. Meanwhile, public colleges and universities added 4,500 jobs, a 0.2 percent increase, in public sector higher education jobs during the fourth quarter.

Job postings for open positions at colleges and universities were also down during the fourth quarter, decreasing 4.1 percent compared to the year before. The decline in higher education job postings was distributed throughout most types of job postings, although some types of administrative and executive postings experienced incremental growth. Annually, the total number of advertisements for job postings in academia increased 7.6 percent in 2016, the slowest annual growth since at least 2013.

The report analyzes the most current data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and HigherEdJobs' posting trends from roughly 850 colleges and universities that have continuously subscribed to the company's unlimited posting plan for four years. The full report can be viewed at www.higheredjobs.com/career/quarterly-report.cfm. 

HigherEdJobs® is the leading source for jobs and career information in academia. During 2016, 5,400 colleges and universities posted more than 215,000 faculty, administrative and executive job postings to the company’s website, which receives 1.5 million unique visitors a month. HigherEdJobs is published by Internet Employment Linkage, Inc. and is headquartered in State College, PA.

Featured

  • Rowan University, HPE Partner on New Learning Initiative

    Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., recently announced that it has expanded its partnership with enterprise technology provider HPE to improve research capabilities and hands-on learning opportunities, according to a news release.

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.

  • UNH Marks Construction Milestone on Oceanic Exploration Facility

    The University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H., recently celebrated a major construction milestone with a beam-signing ceremony for the new Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping, according to a news release. The facility’s ultimate goal is to support research, training and technical assistance in ocean mapping.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.