Corrected: An earlier version of this article did not state that the number of job openings in the Bureau of Labor Statistics data isn’t exclusive to the public K-12 sector and includes openings in public postsecondary institutions.
While teacher shortages have been reported in different regions and different teaching subjects on and off for years, a very large number of open positions in education jobs overall have been reported in recent months.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data on the state and local government education sector (which includes public elementary and secondary school systems and postsecondary institutions), in February 2022 there were 380,000 open jobs in schools and universities, the highest number of openings in the past decade.
Since April 2021, only two months (August and September 2021) had fewer than 300,000 open jobs. That’s compared with the period from 2012 to the end of 2019, when no month had over 300,000 open jobs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies something as a job opening when it meets three conditions:
- A specific position exists and there is work available for that position.
- The job could start within 30 days.
- There is active recruiting for workers.
The Bureau counts job openings on the last business day of the month, rather than cumulatively throughout the month.
How to Cite This Article
Riser-Kositsky, M. (2021, June 15). How Many Job Openings Are There in Public Schools and Universities?. Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/how-many-job-openings-are-there-in-public-schools/2022/06
