As reported in the Wall Street Journal, burned-out teachers are leaving the classroom for jobs in the private sector. Teachers are more rapidly quitting their jobs than ever before. By looking at search engine data provided by Ahrefs, it becomes even more apparent that there are significant issues within the industry.
Teacher Burnout
Whether looking at search trends around ‘teacher burnout’ or ‘teacher salary’ the data begins to suggest that both our local, state and federal governments must take action to address these trends. The demands and stresses being placed on teachers are seemingly no longer sustainable and the data in this article will help explain why.
Looking at the term “teacher burnout”, we can see that searches are up 172% since the beginning of COVID and have been trending upwards for the last couple of years. Could this rise in frustration and mental fatigue be the core of the loss of education professionals?
Teachers Quitting
The number of searches for ‘teachers quitting’ has risen dramatically over the past 6 months, with total search volume for the term reaching close to 5k a month. Employment of teachers is clearly on the top of mind for Americans.
Teacher Salary
Taking a step further, what is one of the key search terms you might look for when deciding on a career? Salary is definitely a core motivator.
Now when we look at searches for ‘teacher salary’ the drop-off is substantial. Searches have been declining steadily over the past few years with a more rapid decline over the past year. Are fewer people interested in this career if search queries for salary are down?
Is Being a Teacher Worth It?
Now, salary of course isn’t the only indicator of career fulfillment and the data could take us one step further. More and more teachers are searching the question ‘is being a teacher worth it’. In fact, searches for this phrase are up 368.11% from pre-pandemic to present.
Are those who once considered being a teacher now questioning this profession as a whole? If so, that is not good news for the industry.
Jobs for Former Teachers
Finally, and to loop back around to the Wall Street Journal article mentioned earlier, are teachers looking elsewhere? Well, the search volume for the query ‘jobs for former teachers’ is at its highest point since 2017.
