Education Insights Workforce Report
In addition to previously published research, this report contains findings from a survey of more than 2,000 business leaders across the nation.
Education Workforce Insights Report
A Message from Nicola Soares
As President of Kelly Education (KE), Nicola Soares is one of the most influential leaders in the education staffing industry. She has led KE for more than a decade and under her direction, the business has evolved from a dedicated provider of substitute teachers to a full-scale education solutions company, placing 4 million educators in classrooms from early childhood to higher education every year.
Executing Soares’ bold vision, the business designed and launched new K-12 tutoring, para-education, and higher ed products and recently acquired Pediatric Therapeutic Services, to capture the rapid growth in this K-12 staffing specialty.
An advocate for educators and students, she is passionate about eliminating barriers to employment and committed to building healthy communities through a stronger education workforce.
A good teacher is the nucleus of a thriving society. However, teacher absenteeism is growing and what was once temporary is now becoming permanent.
In nearly every district and in every community, our nation’s educators are continuing to battle stress, exhaustion, and burnout—feelings only exacerbated by the lasting effects of the pandemic. They continue to suffer stagnant wage growth, and they’re frustrated by the perception that politicians, parents, and the public just don’t hold the profession in the high esteem they used to.
It’s no wonder that millions of educators didn’t return to the classroom this fall, deepening a talent shortage that was highly concerning even before the coronavirus pandemic. As America’s largest education staffing provider, filling more than 4 million educator vacancies annually, we at Kelly Education understand the problem acutely. It’s not hyperbole to call America’s educator shortage a crisis—and without swift and substantive interventions, our projections show the talent gap will double in just three years.
America’s education system is at a turning point, and how we choose to respond will impact the success of students, their families, our communities, and our economy at large. For this reason, we believe that it is imperative for us to have a deeper understanding of the impact of the educator shortage on the future of work.
This report aims to illustrate the breadth and depth of the current educator shortage crisis and includes an original survey of more than 2,000 U.S. business leaders in addition to previously published research.
These findings should serve as a major wakeup call for anyone who cares about our country’s—and our children’s—future. Without a qualified, ample pool of educators, we will see major impacts on learning for years to come.
The good news is, there’s broad consensus that the educator shortage is a real and catastrophic problem, and more can and should be done to improve the profession—especially among America’s business leaders, who depend on our nation’s education system to produce the qualified talent they and our economy need to lead us into the next generation of work and prosperity. To that end, this report also explores their concern about the educator shortage crisis and support for solutions that can help strengthen the educator talent pipeline and restore respect for this critical profession.
One thing is clear: solving the educator shortage is everyone’s responsibility. Addressing this crisis will take all of us, working together, to move education forward while ensuring every child has the people and resources they need for a bright future.
Nicola Soares
President, Kelly Education
To learn more about how you can do your part and partner with Kelly Education, visit:
In addition to previously published research, this report contains findings from a survey of more than 2,000 business leaders across the nation.
There are a myriad of factors driving America’s educator shortage.
The effects of the pandemic—including record-high levels of stress, burnout, and exhaustion—coupled with chronically low compensation, college debt burdens, and school safety concerns are contributing to the shortage. As a result, qualified educators are leaving the profession or retiring early. Potential educators are not considering the profession or pursuing teacher preparation programs in high-need specialty areas, such as special education.
Without urgent and widespread intervention, the educator shortage will only worsen, and the talent gap will double in just three years.
If the current trend of job openings versus hires in public education and education services continues, by the midpoint of this decade, the talent gap is expected to reach nearly 520,000 educators by 2025— more than doubling the current shortfall of 240,000. That’s at least one missing educator for every 100 PK-12 students.
America’s business leaders are concerned about the educator shortage and its impacts on their current and future workforce. Fortunately, they’re willing to play a role in the solution.
After learning about the teacher shortage in America, almost all (96%) business leaders surveyed indicated concern about the projected educator shortage, with 75% saying they are moderately or extremely concerned about it. Additionally, more than nine in 10 (91%) business leaders stated the educator shortage has already or will lead to a generation of unprepared workers within five years or sooner. An overwhelming 86% of business leaders believe policymakers should act now to make the education profession more attractive, accessible, rewarding, and sustainable. Nearly half (48%) support increasing educator pay and benefits, and many support efforts to improve school culture and working conditions.
More than 9 in 10 (91%) business leaders stated the educator shortage has already or will lead to a generation of unprepared workers within five years
<small>*Part 1*</small>
What’s Driving the \Educator Shortage?
Part 1
What’s Driving the Educator Shortage?
There is no singular reason for the educator shortage, but rather several influencing factors that have been driving talent away from the profession—even before the pandemic. Our research identified the following conditions that are key contributors to the widening educator talent gap.
Burnout is at an all-time high, and teachers are retiring early.1
A top concern among educators is burnout, with 90% saying that it is a very or somewhat serious issue. More than half (55%) of educators said that pandemic-related burnout has made them more likely to retire or leave education earlier than they have planned—that’s nearly double the percentage who said the same in July 2020.
Educators don’t feel safe in schools.
The highest number of school shootings, 34, occurred in 2021. There were 10 shootings in 2020, and 24 each in 2019 and 2018.2 At least 554 children, educators, and staff have been victims of school shootings since 1999.3 And while school shootings understandably generate headlines, teachers have other reasons to fear for their own safety. 37% of teachers in a 2020 poll feared for their own safety; fighting among students, physical bullying, gun violence, and online bullying are the safety issues of greatest concern.4
Teachers are not paid enough for what they’re asked to do.
Subpar compensation has long been a challenge to talent attraction and retention, but today’s educators are questioning if the ability to make a difference is worth it anymore. Of teachers who voluntarily left the profession, one-third were holding second jobs while teaching, and 64% said that their pay was not sufficient to merit the risk or the stress of teaching.5 While some districts have responded to the educator shortage with modest pay raises, these increases aren’t keeping pace with rising inflation and costs of living across the country.
The college student debt crisis is compounding wage issues.6
Nearly half of all educators took out student loans to pay for college. The average educator owes $58,700, while one in seven owe more than $105,000. Young educators are seeing the most severe impact, as two-thirds of those under 35 had to take out loans, compared to 27% of their peers ages 61 and over. However, more than one in four educators over 61 are still paying off student loans. There is also a disproportionate impact on teachers of color. More than half of Black educators (56%) took out student loans—with an average initial amount of $68,300.
Nearly half of all educators took out student loans to pay for college. The average educator owes $58,700, while one in seven owe more than $105,000.
Enrollment in teacher preparation programs has decreased.7
Enrollment and graduation in teacher preparation programs has been steadily declining for the past decade, and the pandemic has likely made things worse.
A report from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education found that the number of bachelor’s degrees conferred in education declined by 22% between 2005-06 and 2018-19. At the same time, the total number of bachelor’s degrees conferred in all fields rose by 29%.
Between the 2008-09 and the 2018-19 academic years, the number of people completing a teacher-education program declined by almost a third. And while traditional teacher-preparation programs saw the largest decline at 35%, alternative programs experienced drops as well.
An analysis of 2018 enrollment data found that enrollment declines were widespread geographically. Nationally, one-third fewer students enrolled in teacher preparation programs in 2018 than in 2010; only five states—Utah, Arizona, Washington, Texas, and Nevada—experienced increases in teacher prep enrollments. Nine states saw declines of more than 50%.
Of those who do pursue teacher preparation programs, many are not completing specialties in high-needs areas where educator shortages are most pronounced, such as special education, bilingual education, science, and math. Elementary education remains the most popular specialty for prospective teachers, covering 40% of all program completers.
It’s clear there are many complex factors that are influencing and worsening the educator shortage, and the decision to exit the profession is deeply personal and difficult for many educators. At the same time, there is qualified talent who want to make a difference in education, but ultimately do not pursue the profession for some of these reasons. Reversing the educator shortage will require not one, but several innovative solutions that improve the working conditions, compensation, financial stability, and safety of educators—while incenting and motivating the next generation of teacher and school staff to pursue their passion.
Eye on 2025: The Projected Educator Shortage in Three Years
While we know the factors that are driving the educator shortage, what is less clear is just how broad and deep today’s educator shortage actually is. Indicators such as reported subject area vacancies and anecdotal testimonies from district and school leaders help paint a picture of the current state of the educator labor market. But as researchers from the Economic Policy Institute have noted, many teachers’ and school staff wages are negotiated through a lengthy contracting process—therefore insulating them, to an extent, from market pressures. And due to the localized, fragmented nature of America’s PK-12 education system, it is difficult to directly measure the need for educators at any given point in time.8
That said, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) provides data that can be useful in understanding not only the current state of the shortage, but also in forecasting just how pronounced the talent gap will be if America proceeds with business as usual.
For this Kelly Education analysis, we analyzed JOLTS data for public school educators (categorized by the BLS as state and local education industry workers), as well as private and other training and instruction service providers (categorized by the BLS in the educational services industry).
As of 2021, the most recent year in which a complete data set is available, the average monthly number of education-related job openings in the United States was 473,000, while the average monthly number of education-related hires was 280,000—leaving an average of 193,000 available positions unfilled that year.
With two complete years of pandemic-era labor market data available, we can also leverage JOLTS data to project educator supply and demand in the future—factoring in the adverse impacts of the global health crisis on teacher and school staff attraction and retention.
Our five-year analysis shows that the number of job openings in both public education and education services has increased by 112%, while the number of hires has increased by 21%.
What’s more, after calculating and applying the five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of openings and hires through 2025, our projections show that by the midpoint of this decade—in just three years—the educator shortage will more than double from 2021 levels, unless widespread and intentional policy and practice change is enacted.
Our analysis finds that—if conditions are left unchecked and unchanged—the average number of education-related job openings will swell to 854,000, while the average number of education-related hires will grow to just 336,000. That’s a talent gap of 518,000 educators—or one teacher or school staff member missing for every 100 school-aged children.9
Eye on 2025:
The projected educator shortage in three years
This data should be a siren call for anyone who cares about the future of America’s children and economy.
At Kelly Education, we believe that every student, in every school and every community, deserves to have effective, qualified, and caring educators to help guide their academic, social, and emotional development.
The good news is, there is broad and bipartisan consensus that the American education system is at a tipping point, and urgent action must be taken now to address the educator shortage and ensure all children have equitable access to caring and competent professionals who prepare them for success in school and life.
To learn more about how you can do your part and partner with Kelly Education, visit:
<small>*Part 2*</small>
Concern from the \Business Community
Part 2
Concern from the Business Community
Today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce, and high turnover and attrition in America’s schools threaten student achievement. That’s why, as beneficiaries of a well-educated, highly skilled citizenry, America’s business leaders express growing levels of care and concern about the educator shortage.
To understand how concerned American employers are about the growing educator shortage and its impact on their ability to meet current and future workforce needs, Kelly Education commissioned a national survey of more than 2,000 business leaders in July 2022. Here’s what we found.
About the Survey:
- Respondents held the following titles: CEO, president, owner, executive, director, and senior manager.
- Respondents were employed in the following departments: procurement, finance, executive management, human resources, information technology, engineering, technology, strategy, marketing and communications, and compliance.
- 25% of respondents worked for large companies (1,000 or more employees), 48% worked for mid-size companies (51 – 999 employees), and 25% worked for small companies (fewer than 50 employees).
- Survey included an oversample of business leaders in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Florida—states with high demand for substitute teaching talent through Kelly Education.
Virtually all business leaders are concerned about the educator shortage’s impact on their current and future talent pools.
After learning about the teacher shortage in America, almost all (96%) business leaders surveyed indicated concern about the projected educator shortage, with 75% saying they are moderately or extremely concerned about the educator shortage.
Additionally, more than nine in 10 (91%) business leaders stated the educator shortage has already or will lead to a generation of unprepared workers within five years or sooner. Almost half (47%) of business leaders believe the educator shortage will negatively impact their organization’s ability to hire local, qualified talent within the next five to 10 years. Another 30% said the educator shortage has already resulted in an unprepared generation of workers.
Presidents and business owners were more likely to say that they’re already seeing the impact of the educator shortage, with 40% saying there is a current unprepared generation of workers compared to 30% on average.
When business leaders were asked which soft skills they believe will be negatively impacted by the educator shortage, they reported:
- Problem-solving abilities
- Conflict resolution
- Cognitive development
- Socialization
- Creativity
- Civic engagement
The majority of business leaders worry about the impact the educator shortage will have on their local schools, communities, and economy.
Business leaders express care and concern for how today’s students, facing the dual challenges of recovering from the pandemic and a lack of qualified educators to support them, will thrive as working adults. More than half (53%) believe that students who were in school during the pandemic will be at a disadvantage compared to students who went to school before the pandemic. Nearly the same percentage believes the educator shortage will worsen the mental and behavioral health crisis among students (50%) and impact the number of students who pursue education beyond high school (57%) in their community. More than one in three (38%) believe it will lead to higher crime rates.
More than two-thirds (68%) of business leaders also fear that a lack of qualified talent will have negative impacts on economic development and prosperity in their state or community. And more than half (55%) of business leaders believe that the educator shortage will worsen the quality of schools in their community, thereby impacting their ability to attract outside talent to relocate for employment opportunities.
And more than half (55%) of business leaders believe that the educator shortage will worsen the quality of schools in their community, thereby impacting their ability to attract outside talent to relocate for employment opportunities.
Business leaders value the role educators play and support efforts to increase respect and esteem for the profession.
More than four out of five (82%) business leaders think educators are asked to do too much for what they are paid.
Almost nine in 10 (86%) business leaders think educators are underappreciated, considering how much they contribute to society. A similar, overwhelming percentage (89%) believe educators should be valued as much or even more than first responders. However, the reality is much different—as educators are paid less than store managers, nurses, and police officers, according to median salaries. And some educators make less than firefighters, truck drivers, and mechanics.
Nearly seven in 10 (69%) business leaders think that teaching professions are no longer considered esteemed professions by the public.
<small>*Part 3*</small>
Identifying Solutions to \the Educator Shortage Crisis
Part 3
Identifying Solutions to the Educator Shortage Crisis
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the educator shortage crisis. Approaches will—and should—vary according to local community needs, but there are a handful of strategies that can bolster the teacher and school staff pipeline and rebuild trust in and respect for the profession. And fortunately, many of these strategies are popular—especially among members of America’s highly influential business community.
In our national survey, Kelly Education found that 86% of business leaders believe policymakers should act now to make the education profession more attractive, accessible, rewarding, and sustainable. Nearly half (48%) support increasing educator pay and benefits, and many support efforts to improve school culture and working conditions. This includes efforts to strengthen programs for new teachers— such as teacher residency programs or mentoring (47%), improvements to in-school mental and behavioral health services (43%), and the availability of high-intensity tutoring services (40%) to relieve classroom teachers of the stress associated with pandemic-related learning recovery.
Business leaders are also supportive of measures to attract new talent to the education profession, including making it easier to transition to teaching through short sequences of certificates and credentials (40%) and expanding access to alternative paths for earning teaching certification (39%). While enrollment with these programs outside of institutions of higher education (IHE) has grown substantially over the last decade, completion of these programs declined by 10% from academic year 2010-11 to 2018-19. While there is work to be done to improve completion rates, these programs do show a positive potential to increase America’s supply of diverse educator talent. Consider that in 2018-19, non-IHE programs enrolled the highest percentage (44%) of students of color: the first time in the past decade that any teacher preparation program sector enrolled a higher percentage of students of color than students who identified as white. At 20% of all enrollees, Black students were the largest group of students of color. What’s more, two in five business leaders are also amenable to the idea of creating a national tuition subsidy for people who are pursuing credentials and degrees that will lead to careers in education, whether at an institution of higher education or elsewhere.
Business leaders support policies and practices to address the educator shortage
|
|
Increasing educator compensation, including pay and benefits
|
48%
|
|
Creating accessible on-ramps for career switchers and others to enter the profession, including short sequences of certificates and credentials (or “stackable credentials”)
|
40%
|
|
Improving in-school mental and behavioral health services
|
43%
|
|
Investing in increased security on and around campuses
|
39%
|
|
Investing in mental health services (i.e., counseling) for educators
|
38%
|
|
Investing in mental health services (i.e., counseling) for students
|
39%
|
|
Creating a national tuition subsidy for prospective educators pursuing credentials in education
|
40%
|
|
Developing stronger programs for new teachers, such as teacher residency programs and mentoring initiatives with veteran educators
|
47%
|
|
Expanding access to alternative paths for earning teaching certification
|
39%
|
|
Providing high-intensity tutoring to relieve classroom teachers of the stress associated with pandemic-related learning recovery
|
40%
|
|
None of the above
|
3%
|
Our survey also showed that business leaders are willing to play a role in addressing the educator shortage in their communities. More than three in four (78%) business leaders said that businesses should contribute more toward comprehensive educator preparation—with 63% saying that large businesses or corporations should be expected to contribute, and more than two in five (42%) affirming that local businesses should contribute. They also believe that businesses can help offset wage issues by taking actions such as offering year-round discounts to educators, supporting affordable housing subsidies, and funding affordable housing to essential, public-sector employees such as educators.
78% business leaders said that businesses should contribute more toward comprehensive educator preparation.
Business leaders agree: The business community has a role to play to address the educator shortage.
|
|
Building coalitions between private businesses and schools would create more opportunities for schools to get the resources they need.
|
90%
|
|
More companies should offer year-round discounts to educators—similar to those provided to military, veterans, and senior citizens.
|
85%
|
|
Offering educators private, affordable housing subsidies (i.e., workforce housing) near the schools where they teach would encourage educators to remain in the same schools/school districts for longer than a year.
|
81%
|
|
Private businesses should help fund affordable housing to essential, public-sector employees such as educators.
|
76%
|
Solving the educator shortage is everyone’s responsibility. America’s business leaders agree: 87% believe adults in their community could do more to positively impact young students’ learning and academic development. Some ways you can do your part include:
- Support and advocate for public policies that build and nurture a diverse educator talent pipeline, increase compensation and benefits, and improve working and learning conditions in schools.
- Vote for political candidates who include addressing the educator shortage on their policy agendas and platforms.
- Consider pursuing a career in education, even on a temporary or substitute basis.
- Help revitalize trust and respect for the profession by voicing your support for educators among your personal and professional network.
- Volunteer with your local school district or a school in your community.
Addressing this crisis will take all of us, working together, to move education forward while ensuring every child has the people and resources they need for a bright future.
To learn more about how you can partner with Kelly Education, visit:
Kelly Education commissioned an online statewide survey of 2,003 business leaders throughout the United States. In order to qualify for participation in the survey, participants must hold job titles such as senior manager, director, vice president, managing director, C-Suite, or president/owner. The margin of error for the overall sample is +/- 2 percentage points with a confidence interval of 95 percent.
In addition to the overall sample of 2,003 business leaders, 752 business leaders were oversampled in Pennsylvania (N=250), Minnesota (N=251) and Florida (N=251).
The margin of error in each oversampled state is +/- 6 percentage points with a confidence interval of 95 percent.
Talent shortage projections were estimated by applying the 5-year average annual growth (2017-2022 YTD) in openings and hires for the state and local education and education service industries out to 2025. The difference between average projected monthly openings and hires is the anticipated talent shortfall.
Atomik Research is a creative independent market research agency.
