Sluggish Employment Picture for Higher Education in Q1 2013

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of jobs in higher education was essentially unchanged in the first quarter of 2013.  Meanwhile, the number of advertisements for job openings in higher education continued to grow, but at a moderating pace, according to a new report from HigherEdJobs, the leading source for jobs and career information in academia. (http://www.higheredjobs.com/career/quarterly-report.cfm)

An analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data by HigherEdJobs finds the total number of jobs in higher education was down incrementally in Q1 2013, decreasing 0.4 percent, and was eclipsed for the second consecutive quarter by the overall U.S. job growth rate, which grew by 1.5 percent.

In addition, the "market share" of higher education jobs compared to all U.S. jobs was lower in Q1 2013 by 0.02 percent compared to the same quarter a year earlier providing further evidence that the higher education job market has slowed.

Advertised openings in higher education were up compared to a year ago, but only moderately so. Both faculty and administrative job postings were up. However, as with previous quarters, growth in administrative postings outpaced growth in faculty postings. And, while faculty postings were up, colleges and universities continued to increase their reliance on part-time faculty.   

The report, which also includes annual recaps, analyzes job posting data from colleges and universities that have continuously subscribed to the company's unlimited posting plan for four years, a group of more than 700 schools, as well as data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

HigherEdJobs is the leading source for jobs and career information in academia. During 2012, more than 5,350 colleges and universities posted over 117,000 faculty, administrative, and executive job postings to the company's website, which receives over 1,000,000 unique visitors a month. HigherEdJobs is published by Internet Employment Linkage, Inc. and is headquartered in State College, Pa.

SOURCE HigherEdJobs