If you love kids then this seems like the perfect job, but everything isn’t as rosy as it seems. By the time education majors graduated from college they were confident about their ability to find a job even in this tough economy. Now that idea has dwindled. After several months of looking for teaching jobs many students still can’t find one because the economy forced school systems to cut positions.

The shortage that was so obvious a few years ago but has now turned into a surplus of unemployed educators. Not only can they not find jobs as teachers, but many are struggling to even substitute teach.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported since last fall school systems including agencies, schools, and colleges have cut approximately 124,000 jobs.

These cuts have affected teachers at every angle. Many seasoned educators have lost their jobs, while many that were planning on retiring or switching jobs are staying on. Plus, there are individuals that were laid off from other careers that started trying to make it as teachers again or applieed to work as substitutes.  Then there are thousands of graduates trying to find work.

In Texas one school district had over 5,000 applicants and only 322 open positions. Even substitutes almost doubled. So schools currently have 2.5 times as many as it needs even during flu and swine flu season. Because of the tough job market many individuals are trying to become substitute teachers.

It’s strange that for years we have been hearing about the teaching shortage that we were going to have along with nursing. Well the economy took a dip and now we have thousands of teachers that are unemployed. Originally experts believed there would be a shortage because baby boomers would be retiring from the classroom and with a strong economy, education wasn’t as attractive as it had once been.

The nationwide demand for teachers is decreasing. Out of 61 subjects there were declines in 60. Math was the only subject that positions didn’t go down. There was such a shortage of teachers that all math educators remained at their schools unlike other subjects.

Education is no longer a safe guess. Their is no longer a shortage and educators are struggling through the economy just like everyone else. Lilli Lackey is just one example of an unemployed educator looking for work. She remarked at an educator’s career fair that “Teaching isn’t really the place to go into. A few years ago it seemed like the place to be if you wanted a job.”

Education is easily one of the most secure industries in the U.S. When other industries fall flat, children still need to be taught and the government is still obliged to pay for it.  In fact, historical statistics show that growth has been constant in teaching even through recent recessions. Ironically, in the wake of the financial meltdown, a number of financial professionals have switched to careers in teaching.

“Teachers may not have the sports cars or private jets, but they generally know that they will always have a job,” says Janet Hill, a career analyst at Classes and Careers.com. Hill points out other benefits, such as long summer breaks, great health benefits, and the satisfaction of helping kids grow.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, public education job growth will continue at an even 12 percent through 2016.

Public school teachers average $47,000 per year with some making as much as $76,000. Teachers’ pay typically increases according to their experience.

Says Hill, “Especially in this economy, teaching careers are a great way to keep a steady income coming in.”

People interested in earning a teaching degree can get their degree quicker through online education programs. By filling out a simple form, future teachers can start working on their degree in days.