Bat-Ami Bar On has posted a paper, 'Should We Occupy?', on the overproduction of philosophy PhDs (thanks to Feminist Philosophers for the heads-up). One telling passage:
Even if one assumes that all philosophy PhD aspirants are likely to be similarly affected by the philosophy job market, time to degree, and debt, too many of these PhDs end up having spent about 7 years preparing for a job they cannot have, and are in debt. But, it is, of course, not the case that all philosophy PhD aspirants will be similarly affected. At least in the case of economically disadvantaged6 aspirants for a philosophy PhD, unless an aspirant is a lucky exception, she or he can expect to carry a disproportionate share of the burdens of pursuing a philosophy PhD.
The paper contains the following striking/disturbing figures:
Academic Jobs Advertised by Year
Average Debt Levels for PhDs
Average Time to Degree Completion
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