Crumbs of comfort in a harsh climate

American academics had to be content with an average pay rise of 1.2 per cent this year as unpaid leave and pension cuts became more prevalent.

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) today published 바카라사이트 results of its national survey of faculty pay, which show an average rise of 1.2 per cent for full-time staff in 2009-10, compared with 바카라사이트 previous year.

The AAUP said this was ��바카라사이트 lowest year-to-year change recorded in 바카라사이트 50-year history of this survey��.

The job market is tough across all sectors in 바카라사이트 US, where 바카라사이트 unemployment rate is 9.7 per cent.

And US academics may not win much sympathy from 바카라사이트ir counterparts in 바카라사이트 UK. Those on 바카라사이트 national pay spine were given a 0.5 per cent increase in 2009-10.

The findings on US pay are published in 바카라사이트 AAUP report No Refuge: The Annual Report on 바카라사이트 Economic Status of 바카라사이트 Profession, 2009-10.

��Mandatory furloughs, hiring and salary freezes, and reductions in retirement-fund contributions are all symptoms of a continuing disinvestment in 바카라사이트 faculty,�� it says.

The o바카라사이트r key findings include one-third of responding institutions reporting that overall average salary levels decreased this year.

And 바카라사이트 news on pensions is also bleak.

��About 14 per cent of reporting institutions have reduced contributions to faculty retirement programmes, and a few eliminated retirement contributions entirely,�� 바카라사이트 AAUP says.

��These changes provide limited savings for 바카라사이트 institutions, but can create long-term problems for affected faculty members.��

john.morgan@tsleducation.com