[neilparikh]

They should also publish the statistics for number of PhDs looking for a job per faculty position open. That would tell the full story.

[deong]

I haven't been on a search committee in years, but in the mid 2000s, I think 3-500 was about the norm for a mid-range state school. Not all those people were qualified, but I think you can assume you'll have somewhere on the order of 2-300 qualified applicants for most jobs.