Datapoint: Fewer jobs for new psychology research doctorates

Fewer jobs for new psychology research doctorates

News on psychologists’ education and employment from APA’s Center for Workforce Studies

By Peggy Christidis, PhD, Jessica Conroy, and Luona Lin Date created: March 1, 2020 1 min read

Vol. 51, No. 2
Print version: page 19

In recent years, a smaller percentage of psychology research doctorates have found employment immediately after graduation.¹
In 2017, 26% of new psychology research doctorate recipients had definite employment plans, a significant drop from 37% in 2004. Meanwhile, in 2017, 37% of recent graduates had postdoctoral study commitments compared with 30% in 2004. The rest either had unknown plans, no definite employment commitments or employment commitments abroad.
Where those recent graduates are working has also shifted. In 2004, those with definite employment commitments found work most frequently in academia (44%). Another 38% found “other” types of employment, such as in government, nonprofits or schools, while 18% found work in industry settings.² In 2017, new graduates with definite employment plans still found work most frequently in academia (48%). However, “other” types of employment decreased by 11 percentage points to 27%, while industry employment increased by 7 percentage points to 25%.