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Scientists with temporary and permanent contracts within universities

data publication
Science in Figures
22 August 2024
university personnel contract
In this data publication, we look at the development of temporary and permanent contracts of university academic staff by job category. Has there been an increase in the number of academic staff per job category over the years? What percentage of academic staff in each job category is on temporary contracts? And how has this developed in comparison to permanent contracts?

In short

  • All categories of university personnel have been increased (fte) from 1998 until 2023. The number of PhD's has been doubled from 1998 until 2003.
  • 56% of universities' scientific personnel has a temporary contract in 2023.
  • Almost all PhD candidates have a temporary contract.

Overview of graphs

Graph 1: University personnel by function category
Graph 2: The share of temporary university personnel by function category
Graph 3: Development of fixed term contracts and permanent positions at universities

 

1. University personnel by function category

 

Source: UNL - the WOPI database on university personnel
Notes: The data are obtained from the WOPI-file of UNL, see additional information WOPI. Data on teachers, researchers and other scientific staff has been available from 2005 onwards.


Analysis graph 1

  • The number of PhD's has been doubled from 1998 until 2003. The growth in the number of PhD's slows down after 2011, but increases again from 2016 onwards.
  • The category "other scientific personnel" shows an incline from 2004 onwards.
  • After remaining constant from 1997 until 2005, the number of professors is slightly increasing since 2006 with a steeper incline in 2016.
  • After a declining trend in the number of assistant professors from 1998 until 2006, the number of assistant professors is slightly increasing since 2007 until 2018.
  • The category Support and management staff (not included in the figure due to its relatively substantial size) has been increased from 16,846 to 24,041 fte (+43%) in the period 1998-2023.

 

2. The share of temporary university personnel by function category

Source: UNL - the WOPI database on university personnel
Notes: The data are obtained from the WOPI-file of UNL, see additional information WOPI.

Analysis graph 2

  • In the period 2005-2023, the percentage of temporary contracts of PhD students remains constant. Almost all PhD candidates have a temporary contract.
  • Among assistant professors the number of temporary contracts increased until 2014 after which it slighty decreased until 2018. From 2018-2021, the share of assistant professors with a temporary contract has been rising again: 30.4% had a temporary contract in 2021. In 2023 the share of temporary contracts among assistant professors declined to 15.6%.
  • Among professors, the share of temporary contracts is around 4% in the period 2018-2021. In 2022 the share of temporary contracts declined to 2.1% and in 2023 it declines further to 1.6%. Among associate professors we observe the same trend.
  • The percentage of temporary contracts declined for scientific personnel education (teachers) from 53.6% in 2022 to 46.7% in 2023. 

 

3. Development of fixed term contracts and permanent positions at universities 

Source: UNL - the WOPI database on university personnel
Notes: The data are obtained from the WOPI-file of UNL, see additional information WOPI.

Analysis

Looking at the total scientific staff, an increase in the percentage of temporary contracts is observed until 2012. The percentage of temporary contracts remains stable until 2016 (61%) after which it decreases until 2018 (57%). After 2018 the share of temporary contracts rises once more and is back at 61% in 2020. In 2023 it decreased to 56%.

facts and figures

33,947 fte scientific personnel (2023)

56% has a temporary contract (2023)

69% of other scientific personnel has a temporary contract (2023).

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