Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Higher Education Employment Increases in Q2 2017 But Not at Community Colleges

  • 12/29/17

STATE COLLEGE, PA – According to HigherEdJobs, the leading job and career site for higher education professionals, the total number of jobs in higher education increased during Q2 2017 by the largest second quarter amount in five years.

According to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data by HigherEdJobs, higher education employment increased 0.8 percent, or roughly 29,900 jobs, during the second quarter. This was the largest second quarter increase since Q2 2012 when it increased by essentially the same amount. Public and private institutions experienced similar percentage job growth but public institutions saw a larger increase in the number of jobs because they employ almost twice as many people.  Meanwhile, community colleges lost more than 12,500 jobs, or 1.8 percent, in Q2 2017, the 14th consecutive month of year-over-year quarterly job losses for this type of academic institution.

Even though the number of jobs increased in higher education, job postings for open positions at colleges and universities were down during the second quarter, decreasing 1.9 percent compared to the year before. Although this was the second consecutive quarter that job postings decreased, it was not as severe and considered an improvement from the immediately previous quarter's decline of 4.5 percent. The Q2 2017 decline was driven by decreases in postings for full-time faculty and administrative positions and was geographically broad-based. However, postings for part-time faculty and administrative positions both increased and at a slightly higher rate during Q2 2017 than in Q1 2017.

The report analyzes the most current data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and HigherEdJobs' posting trends from roughly 880 colleges and universities that have continuously subscribed to the company's unlimited posting plan for four years. The full report can be viewed here.

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

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • Zurn Elkay Releases 2025 Sustainability Report

    Zurn Elkay Water Solutions recently announced the release of its annual sustainability report, according to a news release. The 2025 report discusses the organization’s efforts to maintain good environmental stewardship and the solutions provided in helping customers meet sustainability goals.