Academic jobs in physics and astronomy in the US are proliferating but, reflecting a wider trend in academia, the bulk of the growth is in non-tenure-track positions. So says a recent report by the American Institute of Physics.
From 1994 to 2004, the number of faculty positions in physics and astronomy grew by about 1% a year, from 8200 to 9000 total, with the largest chunk in PhD-granting departments. In 2000, 11% of faculty positions in PhD departments were non-tenure track or temporary; in 2004, that percentage was 18%.
The numbers of African American and Hispanic faculty members are up, but their percentages remain tiny. African Americans make up 2% of physics faculty and 5% of faculty across all fields. Hispanics make up 3% of faculty in physics and across all fields. By contrast, some 10% of physics faculty members are Asian American, more than the 6% that group represents...
