Abstract: In recent years,the global academic labor market has exhibited a growing trend of precarious employment,characterized by the increasing number and proportion of precarious staff and the deepening bifurcation of academic labor within colleges and universities.Precarious staff,employed in short-term and uncertain labor relations,can be categorized based on job functions,contract duration,and employment arrangements.The global proliferation of precarious staff employment systems has created career challenges such as job insecurity,inequitable pay,marginalization and mental health risks,while also impeding the high-quality development of academic disciplines.This trend is deeply rooted in neoliberal logic and reflects structural issues,including imbalances in the academic labor market and the disconnection between doctoral education's career expectations and the realities of university employment practices.The global expansion of precarious academic employment and the pressing domestic need to reform China's university academic staff employment system highlight the urgency of institutional optimization.Coordinated efforts from doctoral graduates,university governance,and national policy are essential to fostering a more inclusive and sustainable academic career development environment.

Key words: precarious staff, global expansion, casualization, academic career, career challenges