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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
Language: English
Authors: Jacqueline Bichsel (ORCID 0009-0007-1903-7881), Melissa Fuesting, College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR)
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
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  Data: The Non-Exempt Higher Education Staff Workforce: Trends in Composition, Size, and Pay Equity
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jacqueline+Bichsel%22">Jacqueline Bichsel</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1903-7881">0009-0007-1903-7881</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Melissa+Fuesting%22">Melissa Fuesting</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22College+and+University+Professional+Association+for+Human+Resources+%28CUPA-HR%29%22">College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR)</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22College+and+University+Professional+Association+for+Human+Resources%22"><i>College and University Professional Association for Human Resources</i></searchLink>. 2025.
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  Data: 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
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  Data: 19
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Personnel%22">School Personnel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Labor+Force%22">Labor Force</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Characteristics%22">Individual Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Working+Hours%22">Working Hours</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age%22">Age</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racial+Composition%22">Racial Composition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sex%22">Sex</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparable+Worth%22">Comparable Worth</searchLink>
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  Data: 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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      – Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: School Personnel
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      – SubjectFull: Higher Education
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      – SubjectFull: Labor Force
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      – SubjectFull: Individual Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
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      – SubjectFull: Racial Composition
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      – SubjectFull: Sex
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      – SubjectFull: Comparable Worth
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      – TitleFull: The Non-Exempt Higher Education Staff Workforce: Trends in Composition, Size, and Pay Equity
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