Employment

Employment of social and human service assistants is projected to grow 22 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations.  Employment projections data for social and human service assistants, from 2012-2022 are as follows:  372,700 to 453,900 which is a projected increase of over 81,000 jobs.  (SOURCE:  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program)

Growth will be due to an increase in the elderly population and rising demand for health care and social services.  Much of the growth will be due to the needs of an aging population.  An increase in number of older adults will cause growth in demand for social services.  The elderly population often needs services such as delivery of meals, adult daycare and support during medical crises.  Social and human service assistants, who help find and provide these services, will be needed to meet this increased demand.  In addition, growth is expected as more people seek treatment for their addictions and more drug offenders are sent to treatment programs rather than to jail.  The result will be an increase in demand for social and human service assistants who work in treatment programs or work with people with addictions.  More and more social and human service assistants will be needed to provide services to pregnant teenagers/teen parents, people who are homeless, people who are mentally disabled or developmentally challenged, and people who need job training.  There also will be continued demand for child and family social and human service assistants.  These workers will be needed to help other social work professionals, work with families in crisis who are in need of services and/or make referrals to other agencies.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Social and Human Service Assistants, on the internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-and-human-service-assistants.htm (visited February 20, 2014.)