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

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • University of Pittsburgh to Build New Residence Hall

    The Board of Trustees from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently approved the construction of a new residence hall for first-year students, according to university news.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Starts Construction on Healthcare Education Hub

    California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, Calif., recently announced that work has begun on a renovation project that will turn the Stewart Building into a new Healthcare Education Hub, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Sundt Construction Inc. for construction services.