Tracing Job Quality and Equity in the Social Work Profession

Poor job quality, particularly low wages, remains a persistent concern in the social work profession, contributing to high turnover and recruitment challenges. Although concerns over the quality of social work jobs may not be new, we know little about how the quality of social work jobs has evolved over time and for whom. Using four decades of Current Population Survey data, this article examines trends and variations by gender and race on multiple dimensions of job quality for social workers. The analyses reveal that although some dimensions, such as wages and full-time employment, have improved, other aspects of job quality have worsened, including increased risk of low pay and reduced access to employer-provided benefits. Limited progress has been made in reducing gender gaps in job quality, and racial disparities have worsened over time, with Black social workers facing a higher risk of low job quality than White social workers. The implications for the future of the social work profession are discussed, emphasizing the need to improve quality and equity in social work jobs.