Changes in Workforce Size
The size of the higher ed workforce changes from year to year as the result of hiring, separations, retirements, and other events. To track those changes, CUPA-HR collects total employee headcount in its signature workforce surveys. This page, updated annually, features workforce size changes over the past several years.
Historically, the overall size of the higher education workforce has increased from year to year. However, after the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, the number of full-time staff has been on a steady decline. Part-time staff headcounts have fluctuated widely over the past seven years, with steep decreases pre- and post-pandemic, and a steep increase immediately prior to the pandemic.
Although there is less variation in faculty headcounts, the relative changes in size in tenure-track, non-tenure-track, and adjunct faculty are notable. Pre-pandemic, institutions increased the number of non-tenure-track faculty dramatically in comparison with tenure-track faculty. The only year non-tenure-track faculty have not had a large increase was immediately post-pandemic, and that decrease was small compared to tenure-track faculty and adjuncts. Since that time, non-tenure-track faculty have again seen large increases, whereas tenure-track faculty numbers have continued to decline.
“Staff” include any employees of the institution who are not faculty — administrators, professionals, and hourly workers.
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Methodology
Data are based on headcounts provided in the Institutional Basics section of CUPA-HR surveys with an effective date of November 1 in the fall of each academic year. For example, percentage change for 2020-21 is based on the change in headcount from November 1, 2019, to November 1, 2020. Only institutions providing institutional basics information in both years of the comparison were included in the analysis. Institutions not reporting headcount data in both years of the comparison were excluded from the analysis.
The overall number of institutions analyzed is at least 954 for each year included on the graphic.