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Projected employment growth for community and social service occupations, 2022–32

By Michael Rieley

As Americans confront health and social problems, community and social service occupations are there to help. Trends, such as increased need for elderly care, mental health services, treatment of substance use disorders, and public health and preventative care, are contributing to strong demand for jobs associated with healthcare and social assistance throughout the next decade. But not all jobs associated with these trends provide medical care. Jobs in the community and social service occupational group, which include therapy, counseling, social work, and community outreach, are also expected to see strong employment demand because of these health-related trends. This occupational group is expected to see fast employment growth of 7.8 percent over the next 10 years. (See table 1). This projected employment growth for the community and social service occupational group is nearly 3 times faster than the all-occupation average (2.8 percent) and ranks 4th out of all 22 occupational groups. This Beyond the Numbers article explores the various trends supporting growth for community and social service occupations.

As the U.S. population ages, jobs helping the elderly increase

The continued aging of the population will increase the need for jobs that provide services for the elderly. By 2032, 25.2 percent of the population is projected to be age 65 or older, up from 21.5 percent in 2022.¹ Moreover, the 75 and older age group is projected to reach a share of 11.8 percent of the population, an all-time high for this group.² As older age groups have greater health and personal care needs, demand for these occupations are also expected to grow. This translates to growth for many healthcare practitioner and support occupations. Community and social service occupations are also expected to see resulting employment demand. Among these are healthcare social workers, who are projected to grow 9.6 percent from 2022–32. These workers help individuals with health issues understand their diagnoses and provide advice on adjustments to lifestyle or housing. This is often particularly important for older clients who may be evaluating options for assisted living—either at home or in a facility. Social and human service assistants are similarly projected to see fast growth of 8.6 percent. These workers often assist healthcare social workers in their care for the elderly, coordinating community services such as meals, adult day care, and transportation services. Even though healthcare social workers and social and human service assistants also attend to other groups (including those with disabilities, veterans, and children and families), the elderly population is a key customer base for these services. Therefore, strong employment growth for these workers is expected over the next decade, as the aging population supports demand for these services.

Table 1. Projected employment change of community and social service occupations, 2022–32

2022 National Employment Matrix title	2022 National Employment Matrix code	Employment, 2022	Employment, 2032	Employment change, numeric, 2022–32	Employment change, percent, 2022–32
Total, all occupations	00-0000	164,482.6	169,148.1	4,665.5	2.8
Community and social service occupations	21-0000	2,936.5	3,164.2	227.7	7.8
Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors	21-1018	388.2	459.6	71.5	18.4
Marriage and family therapists	21-1013	71.2	81.8	10.6	14.9
Community health workers	21-1094	67.2	76.6	9.4	14.1
Mental health and substance abuse social workers	21-1023	113.5	125.5	12.0	10.6
Healthcare social workers	21-1022	191.4	209.8	18.4	9.6
Social and human service assistants	21-1093	415.1	450.6	35.6	8.6
Health education specialists	21-1091	60.4	64.8	4.4	7.2
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors	21-1012	342.4	360.8	18.4	5.4
Child, family, and school social workers	21-1021	355.3	374.3	18.9	5.3
Note: Employment numbers in thousands. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Workers needed to help treat opioid epidemic and substance use disorder

Demand for community and social service occupations is also expected to increase due to substance use disorders becoming a larger issue. In particular, opioid addiction is a concern, as addiction and overdose death rates increased rapidly in the 2010s and have remained elevated since.³ In turn, demand for treatment services has increased: as of 2021, approximately 2.5 million people in the United States had opioid use disorder, and 36 percent of those were receiving treatment.⁴ This demand for treatment translates to employment demand for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, which is projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations from 2022–32, at 18.4 percent. These counselors help clients recover from substance use disorders by recommending treatment plans and strategies for behavior modification. In addition to initial treatment, patients often stay in counseling for several years to support continued recovery and prevent relapse, which may contribute to ongoing demand for these workers.⁵

Mental health and substance abuse social workers are also projected for strong employment growth of 10.6 percent from 2022–32. These workers also help those seeking recovery from addiction, including by facilitating support and 12-step groups. Public policy is also expected to support demand for these workers, as states such as Kentucky and New York are expanding funding for substance abuse treatment service providers.⁶ In addition to opioids, the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics estimates that 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 12 have alcohol use disorder (AUD).⁷ Of these, 1.4 million people received treatment for AUD in the past year, according to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.⁸ As individuals continue to seek treatment for substance abuse disorders, employment demand for these counselors and social workers who provide treatment and facilitate support for recovery will continue to grow.

As more people seek mental healthcare, more therapists, counselors, and social workers will be needed

A general demand for counseling and therapy services is also expected to contribute to strong growth for this occupational group. The destigmatization of mental healthcare is expected to lead to more people seeking these services. According to a 2004 American Psychological Association (APA) survey, 30 percent of respondents were concerned about other people finding out if they had sought mental health treatment.⁹ By 2019, by contrast, 87 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that “having a mental health disorder is nothing to be ashamed of.”¹⁰ Alongside this shift in attitudes, more individuals sought mental health treatment itself: from 2004 to 2022 the percentage of adults reported having visited a “therapist, psychiatrist, or other mental health professional within the past year,” rose from 13 percent to 23 percent.¹¹ Particularly, marriage and family therapists are projected to see employment growth of 14.9 percent from 2022–32. There also appears to be a generational shift in attitudes toward mental health treatment. According to the APA, 37 percent of Generation Z and 35 percent of millennials reported having received treatment from a mental health professional, which is higher than any of the older generations.¹² As Generation Z, who is more inclined to seek therapy, ages into typical marriage and family-building years, demand for marriage and family therapists is likely to continue growing. The availability of remote therapy sessions increases access to these services and will likely further support the higher demand. According to a 2021 survey of mental health professionals, over 90 percent reported that they planned to permanently continue to offer remote sessions in some capacity.¹³

Mental health challenges among school-aged children are also expected to support demand for these occupations. A 2022 APA survey reveals that adolescents (ages 13–17) saw the greatest annual increase in those seeking psychological therapy services among all age groups.¹⁴ Higher demand for child support services will increase the need for child, family, and school social workers, which are projected to grow 5.3 percent from 2022–32. These workers develop plans and strategies to improve students’ academic performance and social development and help protect vulnerable children in need of assistance. Support for school-aged children is also expected to drive demand for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, which are projected to grow 5.4 percent from 2022–32. According to a 2022 survey from the National Center for Education Statistics, 70 percent of public schools “reported an increase in the percentage of their students seeking mental health services at school since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.”¹⁵ Educational counselors help children overcome social or behavioral challenges and prepare for college or work life and are likely to see sustained employment demand.

Increasing emphasis on public health and preventative care leads to demand for jobs

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was increased concern for public health issues, contributing to, demand for community and social service occupations. Population health management and disease prevention are expected to drive demand for health education specialists, who are projected to see employment growth of 7.2 percent from 2022–32. These workers develop programs, materials, and events to teach people about health topics. For example, they may aim to increase community knowledge of ways to combat the spread of contagious diseases. By influencing population-wide behaviors, these workers can reduce the need for costlier healthcare treatments. These workers are therefore in high demand for their ability to generate cost savings to health systems.¹⁶

Community health workers also assist in population-level preventative health initiatives. These workers have distinctive knowledge of the specific communities in which they work, which allows for more effective communication between public health officials and individuals.¹⁷ For instance, these workers may be more familiar with specific concerns or skepticism regarding certain public health interventions, which can help tailor both public health policy and its associated messaging. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the need for these workers, as they were integral to relaying information such as where to access COVID-19 testing.¹⁸ Community health workers are projected to grow 14.1 percent from 2022–32, much faster than the average for all occupations (2.8 percent).

Conclusion

The increased need for elderly care, mental health services, treatment of substance use disorders, and public health and preventative care are all expected to contribute to strong employment demand for community and social service occupations throughout the next decade. Some of the fastest growing occupations in this group include substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors; marriage and family therapists; and community health workers, which are all projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2022–32.

This Beyond the Numbers article was prepared by Michael Rieley, an economist in the Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Email: rieley.michael@bls.gov; telephone: (202) 691-5728.

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