The proportion of academics appointed on permanent contracts has halved in three years, new figures show. Data released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency reveal that just 18 per cent of academic appointments made last year were to permanent contracts, compared with 40 per cent three years earlier. Twenty years ago, more than 90 per cent of staff were employed on permanent contracts. The Association of University Teachers estimates that the growing rate of casualisation means most academic staff will be on fixed-term contracts by 2005.