Category(s):
Economy and Labour
Status: Active
Principal: Ted McDonald
Project Number: P0137
Year Approved: 2024
New Brunswick is facing a significant and growing shortage of social workers. The New Brunswick Association of Social Workers (NBASW) estimates the province could be short 272 social workers by 2030, and this projection was developed before COVID-19 made conditions more challenging. The gap between service needs and the available workforce is expected to continue widening.
This project examines the factors that influence whether social workers stay employed and remain in the province. Understanding these factors will help build a clearer picture of the future availability of social workers in New Brunswick. The work will also set the groundwork for future research on how the health and wellness of social workers affects retention. Recent NBASW survey data shows high levels of burnout and stress, which may contribute to workers leaving the field or relocating.
A previous study used descriptive methods to understand retention trends for university-educated social workers. This project expands on that work by using quantitative modelling to examine variables linked to individual social workers and, where data is available, social service community workers. The research will assess how many graduates stay in New Brunswick to work and measure the impact of recruitment by tracking workers arriving from outside the province.
