Job prospects Support Worker - Social Services in Alberta

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

Job opportunities in Alberta

These outlooks were updated on November 29, 2023.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be moderate for Social and community service workers (NOC 42201) in Alberta for the 2023-2025 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Alberta’s 2023 Budget added $330 million for the social sector, with the majority earmarked for wage increases among front-line workers. According the province, about 21,275 workers in the disability support, homeless shelter, and family violence prevention sectors will receive the increase.

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

• Approximately 16,600 people work in this occupation.
• Social and community service workers mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Social assistance (NAICS 624): 47%
  • Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 23%
  • Religious, grant-making, civic, and professional and similar organizations (NAICS 813): 6%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 81% compared to 80% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 19% compared to 20% for all occupations
• 63% of social and community service workers work all year, while 37% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 43 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 24% compared to 53% for all occupations
  • Women: 76% compared to 47% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 10% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 20% compared to 28% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 7% compared to 13% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 31% compared to 19% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 30% compared to 21% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 9% compared to 9% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

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

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