Job prospects Social Worker in Newfoundland and Labrador

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "social worker" in Newfoundland and Labrador or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador

These outlooks were updated on November 29, 2023.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be moderate for Social workers (NOC 41300) in Newfoundland and Labrador for the 2023-2025 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
• Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Job opportunities in this profession are influenced by government funding and factors related to the general wellness of the population. Growing services for veterans and those with mental-health issues, alongside an aging population, are positive factors for the employment prospects for this occupation. Certain positions have highly irregular hours and may be physically demanding. High workload levels in some cases can raise the potential for burnout without the proper self-care. The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Social Workers is the regulatory body and professional association for social work in this province. Registration with this association is necessary to obtain the designation of Registered Social Worker. This is required in order to use the title of social worker or practice within the social work profession in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Here are some key facts about Social workers in Newfoundland and Labrador:

• Approximately 1,250 people work in this occupation.
• Social workers mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Social assistance (NAICS 624): 35%
  • Hospitals (NAICS 622): 28%
  • Provincial and territorial public administration (NAICS 912): 21%
  • Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 6%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 95% compared to 83% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 5% compared to 17% for all occupations
• 80% of social workers work all year, while 20% work only part of the year, compared to 56% and 43% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 40 weeks for all occupations.
• Less than 5% of social workers are self-employed compared to an average of 8% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 13% compared to 51% for all occupations
  • Women: 87% compared to 49% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: n/a
  • high school diploma or equivalent: less than 5% compared to 27% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 23% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 74% compared to 14% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 23% compared to 7% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Newfoundland and Labrador by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Labour market conditions over the next 10 years

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "social worker" Social workers (NOC 41300) or across Canada.

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