Employment in Higher Ed Has Declined Since 2025 

The number of people employed by U.S. public and private colleges surpassed prepandemic levels in 2024 but declined again beginning in 2025. 

Note: This figure represents seasonally adjusted employment at universities from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics "Employment, Hours, and Earnings from Current Employment Statistics" survey. The totals include both part-time and full-time employees who worked or received pay during the appropriate period.
Source: "The Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2025–26," AAUPGet the dataCreated with Datawrapper