Job prospects Social Worker in New Brunswick

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

Job opportunities in New Brunswick

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 New Brunswick for the 2023-2025 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to several 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 should continue to arise from an increasing demand for social services for the elderly, including palliative and mental health support services, given the aging population. There are more job opportunities in the larger urban centres of Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John, as these areas are more populated. Prospects are better for those who can speak both English and French.
• Candidates must be registered and a member in good standing with the New Brunswick Association of Social Workers. In some cases, clinical experience will greatly improve employment prospects, particularly in the treatment of addiction and mental health. Many positions require a Class 5 Driver's License and access to a vehicle, as well as CPR and First Aid training. Strong interpersonal skills are considered an asset.
• The pandemic has changed the nature of service delivery in some cases and candidates should expect a mix of in-person and virtual care.

Here are some key facts about Social workers in New Brunswick:

• Approximately 2,150 people work in this occupation.
• Social workers mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Social assistance (NAICS 624): 31%
  • Provincial and territorial public administration (NAICS 912): 27%
  • Hospitals (NAICS 622): 19%
  • Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 8%
  • Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 5%
• 84% of social workers work all year, while 16% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 48 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
• Less than 5% of social workers are self-employed compared to an average of 10% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 13% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: 87% compared to 48% 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 30% 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 16% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 22% compared to 7% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in New Brunswick by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Job prospects elsewhere in Canada

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

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