Higher Education Employment Report Second Quarter, 2011 / Published August 2011

Executive Summary

The number of jobs in higher education grew 2.9 percent during the second quarter of 2011, down slightly from the 3.3 percent growth observed during the same period of 2010. Similarly, advertisements for job openings in higher education continued to grow, but at a moderating pace in Q2 2011, according to data from HigherEdJobs. While job postings for full-time faculty were up, colleges and universities continued to post an increasing percentage of those postings for part-time faculty. As of the second quarter of 2011, analyses of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on higher education employment as well as job posting trends with HigherEdJobs found:

The number of jobs in higher education continued to grow during the second quarter at a stable and steady pace, regardless of the trend in all jobs for the U.S. economy. Furthermore, the “market share” of higher education jobs compared to all U.S. jobs continued to expand, albeit at a slowing pace. The number of advertised job openings in higher education continued to experience significant growth in the post-recession economy, but that growth appeared to slow in Q2 2011. Colleges and universities continued to focus on hiring administrators and executives over faculty in Q2 2011. However, in absolute numbers, recruiting for all position types – including faculty – is up. Job openings, as well as employment at community colleges, which grew throughout 2010, continued to grow in Q2 2011, according to data from HigherEdJobs and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Q2 2011 HIGHER EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT REPORT

The ratio of part-time to full-time postings in higher education, which grew during the recession but then moderated throughout most of 2010, began to rise in 2011 and continued into the second quarter. Sub-Finding: The number of full-time faculty postings increased during Q2 2011. However, as a ratio of all faculty postings, colleges and universities continued to shift their faculty job postings toward part-time positions. Higher education job postings increased in all regions of the country with moderate growth in most areas.

John Ikenberry, Ph.D. President and Co-Founder HigherEdJobs 328 Innovation Boulevard, Suite 300 State College, PA 16803 [email protected] 814-861-3080 (ext. 202)

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About HigherEdJobs

About this Quarterly Report

HigherEdJobs is the leading source for jobs and career information in academia. The company’s website, www.higheredjobs.com, is visited two million times a month by 1 million unique visitors. During 2010, more than 4,200 colleges and universities posted over 79,000 faculty, administrative and executive job postings to HigherEdJobs.

The HigherEdJobs Higher Education Employment Report, published quarterly, provides summary information about employment within the higher education community. The goal of the report is to help academic leaders and policy makers better appreciate the trends we are experiencing with employment in real-time. Those seeking jobs should also appreciate these same data.

Founded in 1996, HigherEdJobs’ mission is to help higher education candidates and employers connect with one another to find their dream job, or employee, as quickly as possible with the least amount of effort.

As background to some of the statistics we are reporting here, we define Higher Education Employment to include all types of employment at four-year colleges and universities, as well as twoyear community colleges and technical schools.

HigherEdJobs is published by Internet Employment Linkage, Inc. (IEL). IEL is headquartered in State College, PA, and has an accounting and operations office in Oak Park, IL.

Findings on jobs in higher education and the U.S. economy are based on data from the U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Except where indicated otherwise, findings on advertised job postings in higher education are based on posting data from U.S. colleges and universities that have been continually subscribed to the HigherEdJobs unlimited posting plan for four years or more, a cohort of roughly 700 institutions. Each of the institutions included in this report has paid a flat fee for unlimited advertising and, consequently, has no financial deterrent to discourage it from posting any job opening on HigherEdJobs. The Higher Education Employment Report is produced by HigherEdJobs with critical analysis and expertise provided by Bruce Steinberg (www.brucesteinberg.net), an independent employment researcher. To receive future copies of this report via email, please contact HigherEdJobs at [email protected].

Q2 2011 HIGHER EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT REPORT

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Finding: The number of jobs in higher education continued to grow during the second quarter at a stable and steady pace, regardless of the trend in all jobs for the U.S. economy. Furthermore, the “market share” of higher education jobs compared to all U.S. jobs continued to expand, albeit at a slowing pace. Higher Education Jobs Compared to All U.S. Jobs (Monthly)

Source: HigherEdJobs, based on U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Note: Yellow markers are June data and are presented for ease of year-over-year comparison.

Regardless of the recent national economic recession or subsequent recovery, albeit weak by historical standards, employment in higher education continues to grow and follow historical patterns. Although the number of jobs in higher education appeared to accelerate immediately in the post-recession environment, that growth seems to be moderating now. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of jobs in higher education during Q2 2011 was 2.9 percent higher than in Q2 2010, translating to an increase of approximately 48,800 jobs for the sector. While the number of jobs may have increased, the rate of growth was slower than the previous year. During Q2 2010, about a year after the recession was officially declared over, the number of jobs in higher education grew 3.3 percent from Q2 2009, a gain of 52,700 jobs.

Year-over-year percent change in higher education jobs Year

Higher education jobs as percent of all jobs

Annual

Q2

Q2

2011

--

2.9

1.31

2010

3.1

3.3

1.29

2009

2.7

2.9

1.24

2008

2.7

2.4

1.14

2007

1.5

1.3

1.14

2006

2.7

2.9

1.10

2005

2.1

2.0

0.95

Source: HigherEdJobs analysis of U.S. Department of In comparison, the total number of jobs in the U.S. was Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics data. up only 0.8 percent in Q2 2011 compared to the same quarter one year ago (see table, next page). While positive, total U.S. job growth continues to be considerably weaker than job growth in higher education. Moreover, this follows consecutive losses for total U.S. jobs during the second quarter of 2010, 2009, and 2008.

In addition, the "market share" of jobs in higher education, that is the ratio of higher education jobs compared to overall U.S. jobs, has continued to increase but at a decelerating pace. Starting in 2009, the second quarter ratio was 0.10 percent higher than the previous year. In 2010, it increased only 0.05 percent, half the previous amount. And, in 2011, it edged up only 0.02 percentage points. The federal government does not measure “higher education employment or jobs” per se. The term as used in this report is the combination of two NAICS (North American Industry Classification System, the program that tracks jobs by sector) sectors: Junior Colleges (NAICS 611200), and Colleges and Universities (NAICS 611300). The data are reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor. Q2 2011 HIGHER EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT REPORT

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Finding: The number of advertised job openings in higher education continued to experience significant growth in the postrecession economy, but that growth appeared to slow in Q2 2011. HigherEdJobs' Postings Compared to All Higher Education Jobs

Sources: HigherEdJobs posting data from continuing unlimited posting subscribers; Higher Education jobs based upon HigherEdJobs analysis of U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

The dramatic growth in advertised higher education job openings that occurred from 2010 through Q1 2011 continued during Q2 2011, but at a slower pace. Job postings in academia – as manifested by the total number of postings from colleges and universities continually subscribed to HigherEdJobs’ unlimited posting plan for four years or more (a cohort of roughly 700 institutions) – dropped off at the end of 2008 and remained low throughout most of 2009. By the end of 2009, however, the number of open positions in academia began to recover, a trend that has continued into the present time. During Q2 2011, the number of job postings submitted to HigherEdJobs from this group of institutions grew 25.2 percent from Q2 2010. While strong, this percentage gain is only about half the percentage gain observed in Q2 2010 (48.2 percent). And, as noted on pages 7 and 8 of this report, much of the increase in postings has been for parttime, instead of full-time, positions.

Year-over-year change (in percent) Year

HigherEdJobs postings Annual

HigherEdJobs postings Q2

Total overall non-farm jobs Q2

Total Higher Education Jobs Q2

2011

--

25.2

0.8

2.9

2010

45.2

48.2

-0.8

3.3

2009

-25.6

-31.5

-4.7

2.9

2008

-0.5

4.2

-0.1

2.4

Immediately after the end of the recession – 2010 and into Q1 2011 – colleges and Sources: Posting data from HigherEdJobs’ continuing unlimited posting universities were aggressively advertising to subscribers; Higher Education jobs based on HigherEdJobs analysis of U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics data. fill open positions, as evidenced by increased job postings on HigherEdJobs and higher employment numbers from BLS. But, it now appears both activities are moderating.

The blue bars (June data highlighted in yellow for ease of year-over-year comparisons) in the chart above signify monthly job openings posted to HigherEdJobs by U.S. colleges and universities that have continuously subscribed to the company’s unlimited posting plan since at least January 1, 2007 (roughly equating to the retail sector’s reporting of annual changes of “same-store sales”). Q2 2011 HIGHER EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT REPORT

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Finding: Colleges and universities continued to focus on hiring administrators and executives over faculty in Q2 2011. However, in absolute numbers, recruiting for all position types – including faculty – is up. Faculty Job Postings Compared to Administrative and Executive Job Postings

Source: HigherEdJobs posting data from continuing unlimited posting subscribers.

As observed in recent editions of this report, colleges and universities continued to focus on administrative and executive hires instead of faculty during Q2 2011. For the 700-plus colleges and universities included in this study, 71.7 percent of their job postings during Q2 2011 were for administrative and executive positions. Only 28.3 percent of their job postings were for faculty, the lowest second quarter percentage for the five years covered in this report. In absolute numbers, the news for faculty was more positive. The actual number of faculty postings was up 18.5 percent in Q2 2011 from Q2 2010. However, since the actual number of job postings for administrators and executives jumped by an even greater amount, increasing 28.1 percent in Q2 2011 from Q2 2010, the overall hiring trend continues to favor administrators and executives. Faculty postings account for about 40 percent of all job openings at colleges and universities during a typical 12-month period. The ratio generally peaks in the fall semester as departments firm up their hiring plans for the subsequent fall semester. Then, the percentage of faculty postings tends to drop off dramatically at the beginning of the calendar year continuing into the second quarter, until the fall when the cycle repeats itself.

Percent of job postings in Q2 that were: Year

Faculty Positions

Administrative and Executive Positions

2011

28.3

71.7

2010

29.9

70.1

2009

35.8

64.2

2008

32.0

68.0

2007

31.0

69.0

Sources: HigherEdJobs’ continuing unlimited posting This general pattern occurred every year from 2007 to 2009. During the subscribers. recession, however, institutions shifted their hiring emphasis slightly toward faculty hires and away from administrative and executive positions from early 2008 to mid-2009. Since the official end of the recession, however, schools appear to be concentrating more on administrative and executive hires. Perhaps their emphasis on filling faculty positions during the recession was successful, so now they have shifted priorities to filling non-faculty positions they had allowed to remain vacant.

Taken together, it appears demand for all positions in higher education – faculty, administration, and executive – is increasing. However, demand for administrators and executives continues to grow faster than demand for faculty in the post-recession economic environment. Note: No distinction has been made between tenure track and non-tenure track faculty positions. Administrative and executive positions cover a wide variety of jobs including academic VPs, provosts, deans, IT managers, network administrators, fundraisers, administrative assistants, counselors, comptrollers, etc.

Q2 2011 HIGHER EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT REPORT

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Finding: Job openings, as well as employment at community colleges, which grew throughout 2010, continued to grow in Q2 2011, according to data from HigherEdJobs and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job Postings and Employment at Community Colleges

Sources: HigherEdJobs posting data from continuing unlimited posting subscribers; U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Both job postings and employment at community colleges continued to grow and accelerate in Q2 2011, according to data from HigherEdJobs and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of community college job postings from HigherEdJobs' continuing unlimited posting subscribers grew 24.7 percent during Q2 2011 compared to Q2 2010. This is in strong contrast to two years earlier in Q2 2009 when community college job postings decreased 19.8 percent from the same quarter a year earlier. According to the BLS, there were about 11,200 more junior college jobs in Q2 2011 than in Q2 2010, an 11.5 percent increase. In contrast, the number of jobs at four-year colleges and universities for the same period grew by approximately 23,300, only a 2.4 percent annual increase. Expressed another way, although community colleges have only one-fifteenth (1/15) the number of jobs of four-year institutions, they had half the number of new higher education jobs at four-year institutions in Q2 2011.

Year-over-year change (in percent) Year

HigherEdJobs Community College Job Postings Q2

Junior College Jobs (BLS) Q2

2011

24.7

11.5

2010

20.3

20.0

2009

-19.8

0.6

2008

2.1

9.9

2007

4.6

-19.9

Sources: HigherEdJobs’ continuing unlimited posting subscribers; Junior College Jobs from Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The continuing increase in staffing at community colleges coincides with increases in student enrollment at these institutions. According to a survey by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) published in February 2011 (Community College Estimated Growth: Fall 2010), community colleges have enjoyed consistent, albeit decelerating, annual enrollment growth for several years. According to the survey, community college enrollments were up 3.2 percent during Fall 2010, compared to the previous year. That follows an annual increase of 11 percent from Fall of 2008 to 2009 and a 17 percent increase from 2007 to 2009. Note: The red line in the chart above indicates jobs at Junior Colleges as categorized by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics despite most two-year institutions having changed their name to include their designation as a Community College. The yellow markers indicate June data and are presented for ease of year-over-year comparisons.

Q2 2011 HIGHER EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT REPORT

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After increasing throughout the recession, the ratio of part-time to full-time job postings in higher education reached a new high in mid-2009, just as the recession was declared over. Although the ratio of part-time job postings declined slightly and moderated throughout most of 2010, they began to rise at the start of 2011 and continued to grow in Q2 2011.

Finding: The ratio of part-time to full-time postings in higher education, which grew during the recession but then moderated throughout most of 2010, began to rise in 2011 and continued into the second quarter.

During Q2 2011, the ratio of part-time to full-time postings in higher education increased 2.6 percentage points over the previous year, from 14.2 to 16.8 percent. The ratio reached an historic high of 18.9 percent during April 2011, 4.6 percentage points higher than in April 2010. Although the ratio of part-time positions retreated slightly in 2010 (contemporaneous with the formal end of the recession), the decrease was only temporary. As the subsequent recovery proved to be fairly weak in magnitude, and institutional budgets didn’t improve as anticipated, colleges and universities may again be relying more on part-time employees to address fluctuating staffing levels, fiscal concerns, and an uncertain economic future.

Ratio of Part-Time Postings

Average percentage of part-time postings 2007

2008

2009

2010

9.1

11.0

13.8

13.6

Q2 2007

Q2 2008

Q2 2009

Q2 2010

Q2 2011

9.8

10.8

15.3

14.2

16.8

Source: HigherEdJobs posting data from continuing unlimited posting subscribers. Q2 2011 HIGHER EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT REPORT

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Sub-Finding: The number of full-time faculty postings increased during Q2 2011. However, as a ratio of all faculty postings, colleges and universities continued to shift their faculty job postings toward part-time positions. Portion of Job Postings that are Part-Time

Source: HigherEdJobs posting data from continuing unlimited posting subscribers.

The increasing number of part-time postings is driven by increases in both part-time administrative and, especially, part-time faculty positions. During Q2 2011, colleges and universities posted 24.0 percent more part-time administrative positions and 65.1 percent more part-time faculty positions than the previous year. The increasing reliance on part-time faculty is particularly evident when comparing growth rates in full-time faculty to part-time faculty. During Q2 2011, job postings for full-time faculty increased 6.3 percent from the same period the year before, significantly less than the 65.1 percent increase in part-time faculty postings. Furthermore, the ratio of part-time to fulltime faculty positions, which tends to peak in the second quarter each year, increased from 20.8 percent during Q2 2010 to 29.0 percent in Q2 2011.

Detail of Full-Time Compared to Part-Time Job Postings (in percent) Year

Annual Change in Q2 Full-Time Faculty postings

Ratio of Q2 Faculty Postings for Part-Time

Annual Change in Q2 Part-Time Faculty Postings

2011

6.3

29.0

65.1

2010

26.2

20.8

15.1

2009

- 27.0

22.4

-7.5

2008

4.9

18.6

19.9

For comparison, the number of full-time administrative positions posted during Q2 2011 increased 29.3 percent from Q2 2011, an even bigger increase than the 24.0 percent growth in part-time administrative postings. And, the ratio of administrative postings for part-time employees actually decreased from 9.1 percent in Q2 2010 to 8.8 percent in Q2 2011.

2007

--

16.6

--

Year

Annual Change in Q2 Full-Time Administrative Postings

Ratio of Q2 Administrative Postings for Part-Time

Annual Change in Q2 Part-Time Administrative Postings

2011

29.3

8.8

24.0

While job postings for faculty and administrators are both up, the patterns differ when examined in further detail by full-time and part-time. Institutions appear to be increasing their reliance on part-time employees to fill faculty positions while continuing to employ fulltime employees for administrative posts.

2010

61.9

9.1

75.6

2009

-37.4

8.5

-4.5

2008

2.5

5.7

3.8

2007

--

5.7

--

Q2 2011 HIGHER EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT REPORT

Source: HigherEdJobs posting data from continuing unlimited posting subscribers.

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Finding: Higher education job postings increased in all regions of the country with moderate growth in most areas. Change in Higher Education Job Postings by Census Division Q2 2010 to Q2 2011

Source: HigherEdJobs posting data from continuing unlimited posting subscribers for one year or longer.

Growth in the number of higher education job postings, although up in all regions of the country, was moderate compared to previous quarters. Nationally, the number of job postings from HigherEdJobs' continuing unlimited posting subscribers for one year or longer grew 24.2 percent during Q2 2011 compared to Q2 2010. At a regional level, growth varied from a high of 69.6 percent in the Mountain region, which continues to experience high growth rates, to a low of 9.9 percent growth in the New England area.

percent change in Q2 2011

Region

Division

WEST

Pacific

19.2

Mountain

69.6

West North Central

18.7

East North Central

26.2

West South Central

28.4

East South Central

35.9

South Atlantic

19.9

Middle Atlantic

19.6

MIDWEST

SOUTH NORTHEAST

The wide range in job posting increases from region to New England 9.9 region and even within a region may be partially due to Source: HigherEdJobs job postings from unlimited differences between regional economies and/or state posting customers in Q2 2010 and Q2 2011. appropriations. Since Q2 2010, when HigherEdJobs first began to report job postings on a regional basis, the Mountain region has consistently shown well-above average growth in the number of job postings. However, the New England area, which has consistently had the second highest job posting increase, experienced the lowest growth rate in Q2 2011. Note: The regions used for this analysis are consistent with the official U.S. Census regions and divisions (http:// www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf).

Q2 2011 HIGHER EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT REPORT

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Higher Education Employment Report Second Quarter, 2011 / Published August 2011

For more information, contact: John Ikenberry, Ph.D. President and Co-Founder HigherEdJobs 328 Innovation Boulevard, Suite 300 State College, PA 16803 [email protected] 814-861-3080 (ext. 202)

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