Early career opportunities have rapidly declined in the fields of arts and humanities amid UK job cuts, with teaching-only roles increasingly the only positions available for those just starting out, an analysis by the British Academy has found.
The body has mapped job types and staff data for those working in university humanities, social sciences and arts (Shape) departments between 2012-13 and 2024-25.
It found that early career jobs in Shape are facing the sharpest declines as many UK universities slash jobs, and the growing rise of teaching-only contracts is also having a more extreme effect on early career roles than more senior positions.
Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, the most recent year figures are available, early career academic numbers declined 6 per cent across all Shape subject areas, falling from 52,795 to 49,410 full person equivalent (FPE).
This was more pronounced than in mid-career or established staff roles, which saw a 1 per cent decline. Meanwhile, professor-level roles increased 2 per cent, while other senior career roles remained “stable”.
