The Non-Exempt Higher Education Staff Workforce: Trends in Composition, Size, and Pay Equity
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| Title: | The Non-Exempt Higher Education Staff Workforce: Trends in Composition, Size, and Pay Equity |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jacqueline Bichsel (ORCID |
| Source: | College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. 2025. |
| Availability: | College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. 1811 Commons Point Drive, Knoxville, TN 37932. Tel: 877-287-2474; Fax: 865-637-7674; e-mail: research@cupahr.org; Web site: http://www.cupahr.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 19 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Descriptive |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | School Personnel, Higher Education, Labor Force, Individual Characteristics, Working Hours, COVID-19, Pandemics, Age, Racial Composition, Sex, Comparable Worth |
| Abstract: | Non-exempt staff make up 28% of the higher education workforce. Examples of non-exempt staff in higher ed include electricians, police officers, photographers, custodians, office assistants, and food service workers. There is a dearth of reporting that characterizes the non-exempt higher ed workforce beyond those parameters that are used to describe how they are paid. This report describes the makeup of and trends in the higher ed non-exempt staff workforce from the academic years 2016-17 through 2023-24. In it, we show that the higher ed workforce is shrinking, having not recovered since declines after the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-exempt staff are also younger than they were eight years ago, with fewer staff aged 55+. Women make up 59% of the non-exempt staff workforce. People of color make up 33%, the largest representation of people of color than in any other segment of the higher ed workforce. In addition, women and black non-exempt staff experience multiple layers of inequity: They are better represented in the lowest-paying positions, and they occupy fewer lead positions among non-exempt staff. Recommendations include understanding your own institution's non-exempt staff trends, avoiding the trap of overworking non-exempt staff, identifying skills gaps, investing in employee development, and prioritizing pay equity for non-exempt employees. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | ED672404 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Non-exempt staff make up 28% of the higher education workforce. Examples of non-exempt staff in higher ed include electricians, police officers, photographers, custodians, office assistants, and food service workers. There is a dearth of reporting that characterizes the non-exempt higher ed workforce beyond those parameters that are used to describe how they are paid. This report describes the makeup of and trends in the higher ed non-exempt staff workforce from the academic years 2016-17 through 2023-24. In it, we show that the higher ed workforce is shrinking, having not recovered since declines after the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-exempt staff are also younger than they were eight years ago, with fewer staff aged 55+. Women make up 59% of the non-exempt staff workforce. People of color make up 33%, the largest representation of people of color than in any other segment of the higher ed workforce. In addition, women and black non-exempt staff experience multiple layers of inequity: They are better represented in the lowest-paying positions, and they occupy fewer lead positions among non-exempt staff. Recommendations include understanding your own institution's non-exempt staff trends, avoiding the trap of overworking non-exempt staff, identifying skills gaps, investing in employee development, and prioritizing pay equity for non-exempt employees. |
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