Job prospects Support Worker - Social Services in Ontario

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "support worker - social services" in Ontario or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Ontario

These outlooks were updated on November 29, 2023.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be good for Social and community service workers (NOC 42201) in Ontario 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 moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

What Types of Employers Are Out There?

• The majority are employed in health care and social assistance services, with the leading share in individual and family services, and nursing and residential care facilities
• Public administration, mainly with municipal governments

What are the Main Trends Affecting Employment?

• Investments in youth and community outreach programs
• Expansions to shelter spaces
• Public sector spending for mental health and addiction services
• Funding commitments to support individuals with developmental disabilities

What Skills Do I Need to Succeed?

• Child and Youth Worker, and Developmental Services Worker are the names of two voluntary skilled trades available for this occupational group
• The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers regulates social service workers; only members of this College can use the titles “social service worker” or “registered social service worker”

What Other Information Will I Find Helpful?

• This occupation, ‘social and community service workers,’ is distinct from the occupation title ‘social workers.’

Here are some key facts about Social and community service workers in Ontario:

• Approximately 44,650 people work in this occupation.
• Social and community service workers mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Social assistance (NAICS 624): 36%
  • Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 25%
  • Local, municipal, regional, aboriginal and other public administration (NAICS 913-919): 7%
  • Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 6%
  • Religious, grant-making, civic, and professional and similar organizations (NAICS 813): 5%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 81% compared to 81% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 19% compared to 19% for all occupations
• 68% of social and community service workers work all year, while 32% work only part of the year, compared to 63% and 37% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 44 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 21% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: 79% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 9% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 13% compared to 25% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 45% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 27% compared to 24% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 9% compared to 13% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Ontario 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 "support worker - social services" Social and community service workers (NOC 42201) or across Canada.

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