Higher Education Employment Report

Higher education employment growth continued to follow historical trends during the fourth quarter of 2010, virtually unaffected by the national economic recovery or the recession that preceded it. Higher education employment grew 3.2 percent during Q4 and was up 3.1 percent for the year, both record highs since at least 2005. Advertisements for job openings in higher education surged in Q4 2010 as well as for the year, according to data from HigherEdJobs. The growth in higher education job postings appears to be consistent with increases in the number of jobs for the industry, though the way in which academe creates and staffs new positions appears to be shifting. From a geographic perspective, there continues to be a wide disparity in demand for higher education professionals by region.