Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Higher Education Employment Growth Slows in Q3 2017

  • 03/28/18

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 Q3 2017, but by the smallest third quarter amount since 2014.

According to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data by HigherEdJobs, higher education employment increased 0.3 percent, or roughly 10,200 jobs, during the third quarter. This was the one of the smallest third quarter increases in higher education jobs in ten years. Although public colleges and universities have more than 930,000 more jobs than private institutions, public schools added only 3,300 jobs, or 0.14 percent, in Q3 2017 from Q3 2016, while private schools added about 6,900 jobs, or about 0.50 percent. Meanwhile, community colleges lost about 9,020 jobs, or 1.4 percent, during Q3 2017 from Q3 2016, the 15th consecutive decline for this group. Since Q4 2013, community colleges have contracted by almost 150,000 jobs, or 19.3 percent.

Despite the increase in jobs in higher education, the number of job postings for open positions in academia declined 0.7 percent in Q3 2017, only the second time this metric has declined since at least 2014, regardless of quarter. The decline in Q3 2017 higher education job postings was driven by decreases for both full-time faculty and full-time administrative positions and was geographically widespread with a few exceptions. Meanwhile, postings for part-time faculty and part-time administrative positions both increased during Q3 2017. Despite the recent decrease in full-time faculty job postings and increase in part-time faculty job postings, postings for full-time faculty still outnumbered postings for part-time faculty two-to-one.

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 at www.higheredjobs.com/career/quarterly-report.cfm.

HigherEdJobs® is the leading source for jobs and career information in academia. During 2017, 5,400 colleges and universities posted more than 223,500 faculty, administrative, and executive job postings to the company's website, which receives 1.4 million unique visitors a month. HigherEdJobs is published by Internet Employment Linkage, Inc. and is headquartered in State College, PA.

Featured

  • University of Washington Opens New Broadcast Studio

    The University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., recently announced the opening of Sundodger Studios, a new broadcast, production, and content facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with Anthony James Partners for the design and development of the studio, which will host about 100 live broadcasts and 120 live videoboard shows per year.

  • Longwood University Hits Construction Milestone on New Music Education Facility

    Longwood University in Farmville, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of its new music education and performance facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with development and construction firm Skanska on the 63,800-square-foot facility, which began construction in August 2025 and has an estimated completion date of fall 2028.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.

  • Designing the Bridge Between Inclusivity and Independence in K–12 Schools

    Fostering independence is fundamental to learning and development for K–12 students. It offers many proven benefits, such as enhanced confidence, problem-solving, decision-making, and social skills. However, this foundational objective loses its impact if it’s not accessible and adaptable to all students. Inclusivity plays a critical role in cultivating independence and healthy autonomy for students, fostering positive student learning outcomes by uniting pedagogy with the physical learning environment.