COVID-19 Wiped Out 35,000 Tertiary Education Jobs in Australia: Union

‘We hear the most distressing stories about the impact of overwork, and that has an impact … on our students who are also struggling,’ said NTEU President.

A general view of university students on campus in Melbourne, Australia, on March 26, 2025. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

A tertiary education union has revealed that the sector lost around 35,000 jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a recent parliamentary inquiry hearing, Alison Barnes, president of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), warned about a “well-being crisis” in the sector, caused by the recent wave of job losses.