How is the recession affecting physicists?

In the May issue of Physics Today, Toni Feder and Jermey Matthews wrote about how the recession was affecting the physics community in industry and in academia . The Physics Today web staff helped collect some of this data in an online survey. The results of the survey are posted below. The majority of respondents were based in North America and Europe.

Which sector do you work in?

Impact of the recession

The impacts of the recession as suggested by those individuals that responded “other” in the survey include budget reductions for travel and other expenses; financial incentives to the workforce to retire; four-day workweeks with a 10% salary cut; the scaling back or freezing of proposed expansion plans; a ban on temporary workers; and partial plant shutdowns.

The respondents suggested that, among those laid off, experienced scientists in particular were being let go. In industry, some individuals reported that dividends to shareholders were reduced. Moreover, company perks such as matching 401K investment plans had been cut, with dental and health insurance withdrawn.

Several respondents said that no action had yet been taken in their workplace, but they were expecting cuts in the near future. About 5% said that the recession had not affected them at all.

Hiring impacts

Although many respondents cannot hire new employees, those that do say that they are “trying to rush through applicants to beat an expected hiring freeze” or that they are hiring candidates “cautiously,” only with approval from senior management.

Finding the right candidates for positions is still “extremely hard” and the extra hiring steps have led to problems. “We have missed opportunities to hire very qualified people because we could not get approval, or could not get it in time,” said one respondent. “Most of our downsizing came from retirements,” said another.

Many academics who thought they were on a tenure-track position have been transferred to a yearly contract but hope that their loyalty to remain at their institution will be rewarded when the tenure-hiring freeze is lifted. “In some ways, it’s not too bad,” said one respondent. “I still have to accept a lower non-tenure-track salary, but there is no committee work I am asked to do, so perhaps it balances out.”

On Friday the University of Florida announced the elimination of 150 jobs, including nine faculty positions, in an effort to get its budget under control.

Paul Guinnessy