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As the Great Recession in the US was beginning in 2008, chemical engineer Andrea Armani got several emails in response to her applications for faculty jobs thanking her for applying, but explaining that the search had been canceled, at least in part due to financial uncertainty.
It was likely a disappointment faced by a number of would-be academic researchers. According to a 2019 report by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, new assistant professor hires were on the rise until 2008, when they began a steady decline that lasted until 2016.
Postdocs across the US faced similar disappointment this spring, as searches were canceled due to financial struggles at institutions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. And as the faculty hiring season ramps up this fall, ongoing hiring freezes, lower numbers of faculty positions, and uncertainty about what the job market will look like ...
