a profile of community and social service workers … report draws on data from the census of canada...

A Profile of Community and Social Service Workers

National Occupational Classification (NOC 4212)

January 2013

The HR Council takes action on nonprofit labour force issues.

As a catalyst, the HR Council sparks awareness and action on labour force issues. As a convenor, we bring together people, information and ideas in the spirit of collaborative action. As a research instigator we are building knowledge and improving our understanding of the nonprofit labour force. © 2013 HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector Copyright is waived for charitable and nonprofit organizations for non-commercial use, with attribution. All other rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-926754-43-7

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The HR Council is funded by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program. The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada.

Contents

Introduction 1

An overview of community and social service workers 2

Worker characteristics 3 EDUCATION 4 TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT 4 INCOMES AND EARNINGS 5

National and regional employment 7 PROVINCIAL EMPLOYMENT 7 INDUSTRIES EMPLOYING COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS 8

Conclusion 10

References 11

Appendix 12

AbstractThis report draws on data from the Census of Canada for 2001 and 2006 and from other Statistics Canada sources to examine the basic characteristics and employment patterns of community and social service workers (National Occupational Classification 4212) across Canada. It answers questions such as these: who are these workers, how much are they paid, where in Canada do they work, and in what industries are they employed? The report finds that employment in the category has grown significantly in the past decade, both in terms of the total number of workers, as well as in the number of workers relative to the population. In a sector with high levels of female employment, the report finds that there is a gender gap in earnings, with men out-earning women by approximately 14%. This may be explained in part by the finding that more women than men are employed in non-standard work situations (e.g. temporary or part-time work)

Keywords: community workers, gender gap, income, NOC 4212, non-profit sector, social service workers

A PROFILE OF COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS | 1

Understanding any economic sector or industry in detail requires looking at both the organizations and the individuals who work in and for them.

While labour market information (LMI) tends to focus on industries, this report provides a statistical profile of workers within a particular sector – community and social services – made up of women and men who provide front-line human services to those in need. There are two aspects to the report. The first looks at who these workers are – their gender, age, education, type of employment, and income. The second examines employment patterns – where they are employed across the country, in what industries, and in what numbers. While workers in this category may be employed in any industry and by many organizations, a sig-nificant number are employed in the nonprofit sector. As such, a portrait of their characteristics and activities helps to provide a clearer picture of the nonprofit labour force as a whole.

This report uses data from the 2006 and 2001 censuses1, as well as other data from Statistics Canada to examine the basic characteristics of community and social service workers. While the census data used for this report may seem some-what dated, overall characteristics of workers remain relatively stable from year to year, making the analyses relevant today.

1 With respect to the census data, one must note that income and employment data from the 2006 census pertain to 2005 and 2001 data pertain to 2000, as the census questionnaire asks about work and earnings in the previous year. As such, data for income and earnings are reported as 2000 and 2005 values.

This report provides a statistical profile of workers within a particular sector – Community and Social Services.

Introduction


Community and social service workers perform a variety of important tasks in the social service field. These workers provide front-line services in a variety

of settings. They provide counselling and support, outreach and engagement to the isolated, and help the disadvantaged to meet their basic needs for food, shelter and clothing. In labour statistics, these workers are classified together in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) as group 4212: Community and Social Service Workers. The code both separates the workers and tells us some basic information about them. The leading digit (4) indicates that the workers are employed in occupations in education, law and social, community and govern-ment services. The second digit (2) tells us that the occupations usually require college education or apprenticeship training. The final two digits (12) separate the group from similar groups in the NOC matrix. Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) provides the following description for this group:

Social and community service workers administer and implement a variety of social assistance programs and community services, and assist clients to deal with personal and social problems. They are employed by social service and government agencies, mental health agencies, group homes, shelters, substance abuse centres, school boards, correctional facilities and other establishments.

HRSDC also supplies sample job titles for these workers, which include the following: Aboriginal outreach worker, addictions worker, community develop-ment worker, crisis intervention worker, developmental service worker, drop-in centre worker, group home worker, life skills instructor, welfare and compensation officer, and youth worker.2

2 A full list of job titles associated with this category is available online at http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/noc/english/noc/2011/ViewAllTitles.aspx?val=4&val1=4212

In labour statistics, these workers are classified together in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) as group 4212: Community and Social Service Workers.

An Overview of Community and Social Service Workers

http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/noc/english/noc/2011/ViewAllTitles.aspx?val=4&val1=4212

http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/noc/english/noc/2011/ViewAllTitles.aspx?val=4&val1=4212


Worker Characteristics

As many people who are familiar with the nonprofit sector and its labour force will anticipate, a strong majority of workers in community and social services

are female. Indeed, of the 102,360 individuals who indicated they were commun-ity and social service workers in the 2006 census, 78,980 (77%) were female (see Figure 1). The results for 2005 are very similar to those for 2000, although the share of females in the community and social service workforce had increased 1% in this time period.

For the parent NOC code (NOC 42), which includes paralegals and occupations in education and religion not elsewhere classified, 85% of employees are women. At the highest level of aggregation, where the category includes occupations in social science, education, government service and religion from judges to teachers and policy analysts as well as front-line work-ers, 69% of the workforce is female.

Turning to patterns in workers’ ages, we also see some significant trends, espe-cially when one compares census results from 2000 and 2005. While increases in employment were seen for all age categories between the two census years, the largest areas of growth in employment are for workers aged 25-44 and 45-64. As these years are considered to be one’s prime working years, the growth in these categories is not surprising. If one looks at a percentage change in workers (see Figure 2), however, we see that the greatest growth is for workers aged 65 and older (169% growth) and for those aged 45-64 (79% growth). Growth in the younger cohorts was also relatively strong, although less pronounced, at 37% for the 25 to 44 cohort and 23% for the 15 to 24 cohort. These trends not only reflect a growing level of employment overall for this group of workers, but also reflect the aging of the Canadian workforce as a whole. Between 2000 and 2005, growth in the Canadian workforce as a whole was greatest for workers aged 45 and older, particularly those 65 and older, and very low amongst those in younger age cohorts, where the number of workers aged 15-24 increased by 4%

As many people who are familiar with the nonprofit sector and its labour force will anticipate, a strong majority of workers in community and social services are female.

Figure 1: Sex Distribution, 2005

Source: Census Table 97-563-XCB2006069

Female, 77%

Male, 23%


and the population of workers aged 25-44 decreased by 4%. In contrast to the overall national trend, growth in employment for community and social service workers is robust for all age groups.

EducationAccording to the description of the community and social service worker category provided by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and explained above, workers who are employed in this field generally require a college-level education in social service work or a similar field in order to carry out their daily work. However, as Figure 3 indicates, while a large number of workers do have a college certificate or diploma, a significant and growing number also have university certificates, bachelor’s degrees or more advanced educa-tion. As the number of workers in the occupational category grows, there have been relatively uniform increases in education levels, ranging from a 44% increase for those with a college diploma or certificate to an increase of 60% in the number of workers with a certificate, diploma or degree above the bachelor level. This increase in workers’ educa-tions may have several causes. For example, it may point to a difficult job market for those attempting to find employment in social work or

similar fields that require a higher level of education (e.g., a bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work), or it could indicate a high demand for community and social service work-ers that draws workers from other related fields. The increase in educa-tion, especially when coupled with the increasing ages of workers, could also indicate that community and social service work draws in work-ers who are embarking on second careers and looking for work in the human services fields. While all of these explanations are possible, a survey of workers would be required

to determine the precise reasons why more and more highly educated workers are choosing employment in this field.

Type of EmploymentAside from the workers’ basic attributes and qualifica-tions, the nature of their employment situations is also of interest. For example, we know that the Canadian employment landscape shifted in the mid-1990s, with more jobs becoming part-time, temporary or casual, and we know that this trend has largely remained in place. How do community and social service workers’ job situations compare to these national trends?

2000 2005

Figure 2: Worker Age, Community and Social Service Workers


0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

15 to 24 years 25 to 44 years 45 to 64 years 65 years and over

2000 2005

Figure 3: Highest Level of Education, 2000 and 2005


0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

Certi�cate or diploma below bachelor level

University certi�cate or degree

Bachelor’s degree University certi�cate,diploma or degree above

bachelor level


As Figure 4 shows, community and social service workers show a high level of alternative employment situations. In practice, this can include those employed full-time on a temporary or term basis, as well as those employed year-round or temporarily on a part-time basis. The share of full-time workers, however, is on the increase, rising 2% from 2000 when the number of full-time workers was almost equal to the number of workers with alternative work situations. Although the rates of alternative work arrangements may seem high, for all workers in all occupations at the national level, just 55% are employed full-year, full-time while 45% are considered to have some sort of alternative work arrangements. While the rate of full-year, full-time work is slightly lower for community and social service work-ers and may at first seem very low to outside observers, it is certainly in line with national trends.

Incomes and EarningsWhether one is an employee, a prospective employee, or someone who is managing human resources and salaries, questions about what is a “normal” or “fair” wage are common. In Figure 5, we provide an overview of both median and average employment income for community and social service workers. The median income is the 50th percentile of earnings for workers, where half of workers earn more and half earn less. The average, on the other hand, is calculated by adding all of the values and dividing by the number of observa-tions. Both are helpful in understanding wage rates.

Median and average incomes for commun-ity and social service workers rose approxi-mately 4.5% between 2000 and 2005. The growth in wages is strong com-pared to growth in similar occu-pations. For example, the parent NOC category 421, which includes paralegals, child care workers, social service workers and occupations in education and religion not elsewhere classified, experienced growth of 4% in the same per-iod. However, the increase in earnings does lag behind the 9% increase seen for social workers, a similar group of workers who require a university degree instead of a college diploma. However, during the 2000-2005 period there was strong growth in the number of community and social service workers, a total increase of 4.7% in the workforce. In contrast, growth in employment of social workers was slower, at 3.6% in the same period. This may point to employers making trade-offs between increasing wages and increasing staff levels, opting to hire extra staff instead of significantly increasing wages, or simply creating more entry-level positions for com-munity and social service workers.

Overall trends in earnings are interesting, but ques-tions often arise about the fairness and equity of a worker’s earnings. One common question that is raised in this area concerns the earnings of men and women. While community and social service work is a female-dominated profession, this does not mean that incomes and earnings are fully equitable between the sexes. As Figure 6 demonstrates, median incomes for men and women show some significant disparities: in both 2000 and 2005, there was an income gap of approximately $4,000 between male and female workers. Women

Figure 4: Type of Employment, 2005


All others, 47%

Workedfull year,full time, 53%

20,000

21,000

22,000

23,000

24,000

25,000

26,000

27,000

28,000

29,000

30,000

2000 2005

Figure 5: Median and Average Income, 2000 and 2005


Median employment income $

$27,008

Average employment income $

$28,286

$27,480

$28,681


are, however, slowly closing the gap: their median incomes rose from 87% of men’s income levels in 2000 to 88% of men’s incomes in 2005.

What could be causing this gap in women’s wages? While differences in job level and classification within an organization – in other words, the level of authority and responsibility that the worker holds, or the “glass ceiling” effect – is often cited as the reason for gendered wage gaps in many organizations, this issue should not be overly significant in this analysis. As only community and social service workers are examined, there should not be significant differences between the levels of authority and responsibility of workers. Outside of this reason, there are many other possible reasons for this gap, a few of which can be examined in the available data. First, one might think that the level of a worker’s

education may be at play: workers with higher levels of education can often command higher salaries. However, there are no significant differences between education levels: women’s educational attainments are slightly lower, the difference is no more than 1% for each category. Similarly, one might think that the age of the worker comes into play. Once again though, although men were slightly more likely to be aged 45-64 (35% of workers versus 32% for women), and women are more likely to be aged 25-44 (53% versus 49%), the differences between the

groups are not large. The one area in which we do see a significant difference between women and men is when examining the rates of full-year, full-time work versus all other work types. Men were more likely than women to have full-year, full-time employment: 59% of men had such employment, compared to only 52% of women. Despite a few differences in age and characteristics of work activity, women and men performing community and social service work are generally well-matched on most attributes. Other factors may be at play here, such as differences between employers (i.e., large healthcare facilities may be able to offer higher wages than small nonprofits), personal preferences for part-time or alternatively-scheduled work, or simply gendered differ-ences in pay.

Male Female

Figure 6: Median Incomes by Sex, 2000 and 2005


15,000

17,000

19,000

21,000

23,000

25,000

27,000

29,000

31,000

33,000

2000

$30,270

2005

$26,198

$31,271

$27,433


Community and social service workers are employed in all provinces and terri-tories, although the number of workers, both actual and relative to the total

population, varies by region. In the 2006 census data, we see that over 100,000 individuals were classified as community and social service workers.3 These work-ers are employed in all regions of the country, although their distribution across Canada is not uniform.

Provincial EmploymentOntario has, by far, the highest number of community and social service workers, and experienced a significant jump in the number of workers between 2000 and 2005. As Ontario has the largest population of any province, it is not surprising that it has such a high tally. However, the fact that Ontario has more than twice the number of workers compared to the next closest province, Quebec, is a bit of a surprise. As one might expect given provincial and territorial populations, we also see, in Figure 7, small numbers of workers in the Atlantic Provinces and the Territories, which have smaller overall populations.

Beyond the size of the population in a province or territory, the number of community and social service workers may vary from region to region based on

3 Of note, the number of the workers in the category varies between the available data tables. As numbers are rounded randomly to the nearest 10 for the various attributes (e.g., location, industry, etc.) to protect privacy, there are some variations in the estimates. Nationally, the estimates may shift by several hundred. For example, table 97-559-XCB2006023 indicates a total count of 102,530 community and social service workers, while table 97-559-XCB2006069 indicates 102,360.

National and Regional Employment

Ontario has, by far, the highest number of community and social service workers, and experienced a significant jump in the number of workers between 2000 and 2005.

2000 2005

Figure 7: Employment by Province/Territory, 2000 and 2005


Newfoundland and Labrador

Prince Edward Island

Nova Scotia

New Brunswick

Quebec

Ontario

Manitoba

Saskatchewan

Alberta

British Columbia

Yukon Territory

Northwest Territories

Nunavut

0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000


many factors. These factors can be divided into two categories: factors affecting the demand for workers and factors affecting the supply of workers. On the demand side, the number of workers may vary based on the number of existing services, the size/scope of service organizations (larger organizations have more staff), the demand for services in given fields based on local conditions (e.g., rates of homelessness, the number of immigrants or newcomers to a region, rates of social problems such as addictions, etc.), and the current and future prospects for employment opportunities in a region based on growth, turnover, or replacement of retiring workers. Looking at supply-side factors, the number of workers may be influenced by the availability and capacity of training and education programs that produce commun-ity and social service workers, the relative mobility (or willingness to move) of the workers, and the overall availability of employment in general in the region.4

To get a better understanding of population by province, we can examine the number of workers per 100,000 population (see Figure 8). Looking at the numbers in this way provides a better picture of the level of employment as it eliminates differences between the provinces and territories based on their size and shows the number of workers relative to the population as a whole. In Figure 8, the number of workers per 100,000 population is shown in the grey and black bars for 2000 and 2005 respectively, while the lines represents the Canadian averages for 2000 and 2005. Interestingly, the highest rates of employment relative to the local population for 2005 are in Yukon (862 workers per 100,000)5, Northwest Territories (725), Prince Edward Island (525) and Manitoba (460). At the other end of the spectrum, the lowest rates of workers are seen in Newfoundland and Labrador (242),

4 Most individuals do not make decisions about where to live and work in a vacuum: the employment needs of spouses/significant others and other family needs will also factor into the decision.

5 For the 2001 census, data for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut both indicated 0 community and social service workers in each territory, as did data for Nunavut for the 2006 census. These data were likely suppressed to meet the requirements of the Statistics Act.

Quebec (254) and New Brunswick (274), respectively. The Canadian average for 2005 was 317.

While determining long-term trends would require additional data points, reviewing data from the 2001 census beside data from the 2006 census reveals that there have been some dramatic changes in the employ-ment rates relative to the provinces’ populations. Indeed, there has been dramatic growth in the num-bers for Prince Edward Island (from 293 workers per 100,000 population to 525) and Manitoba (from 308 to 460). While these provinces show particularly dramatic growth, PEI and Manitoba are both too small on their

own to drive national trends. Alongside the particularly impressive growth in these provinces, we see strong national growth trends, which drove the Canadian average up from 227 workers per 100,000 population to 317. This growth is particularly striking as it occurred in just five years, highlighting strong increases in both the supply and demand for community and social service workers. Data from the 2011 census will be an interest-ing addition to this chart in the future.

Industries Employing Community and Social Service WorkersBeyond geographic location, one may wonder where one can find community and social service workers. In general, the employment pattern mimics the mix of

Newfoundland

and Labrador

Prince

Edward Isl

and

Nova Scotia

New Brunsw

ick

Quebec

Ontario

Manitoba

Saskatch

ewan

Alberta

British

Columbia

Yukon Terri

tory

Northwest

Terri

torie

s

Nunavut

2000 2005 Canada – 2000

Figure 8: Workers per 100,000 population, 2000 and 2005

Sources: CANSIM Table 051-0001 and Census Table 97-559-XCB2006069

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

Canada – 2005

Wor

kers

per

100

,000

pop

ulat

ion


industries seen when one examines the nonprofit sector as a whole. While there are a handful of industries in which many workers are employed, community and social service workers can be found in small numbers in all of the major indus-trial categories.6 This widespread presence highlights the workers’ skills in human ser-vices. For example, they may be employed as counsellors or crisis intervention work-ers in any field, through corporations’ employee assistance programs or similar initiatives. They may also be employed at nonprofit organizations operating across the industrial spectrum, from work in philanthropic organizations, to working in tenant support for subsid-ized housing, to providing assistance and services to the disabled in sheltered workshops.

Figure 9 shows the industries in which commun-ity and social service workers are most frequently employed, broken down using the major categories in the North American Industry Classification System. As over 70% of workers are employed in NAICS 62 – Health Care and Social Assistance, this category has been broken down into Social Assistance and Other Healthcare in the chart to provide a more detailed picture of results. Of note, the “Other Healthcare” category includes workers employed in hospitals, resi-dential care facilities, doctors’ offices and outpatient medical services (NAICS 621,622, and 623). The social assistance category includes those employed in individ-ual and family services; community food and housing, and emergency and other relief services; vocational

6 Here, we refer to the major (2-digit) categories outlined in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). More information on the NAICS is available from the HR Council and Statistics Canada.

rehabilitation services; and child day-care services. The “Other Services” category (NAICS 81) includes the sub-category Religious, Grant-Making, Civic, and Professional and Similar Organizations (NAICS 813), in which most of the workers in this category are employed. Notably, both NAICS 813 and 624 contain large shares of nonprofit organizations. For example, NAICS 813 includes religious organizations which are, by nature, nonprofit entities; grant-making and giv-ing services – where foundations and philanthropic organizations are classified; social advocacy organiza-tions, which are likely to be nonprofit; civic and social organizations – including national and local associa-tions, fraternities, community groups, booster clubs, and similar organizations; and business, professional and labour and similar organizations. Similarly NAICS 624 includes community-based welfare organizations, such as: individual and family services; community food and housing, and relief and emergency organizations; vocational rehabilitation services; and child day-care services.

Figure 9: Industrial Mix, NOC 4212

Source: Census Table 97-559-XCB-2006023, special tabulation

Social Assistance

Other Healthcare

Other Services (Except Public Administration)

Public Administration

Other Industries

40%

31%

10%

8%

11%


In summary, community and social service workers are a growing and dynamic population of workers. Although most workers are employed in the health care

and social assistance industrial sectors, they can be found in small numbers in all industrial sectors across Canada. Employment in the category has grown signifi-cantly in the past decade, both in terms of the total number of workers, as well as in the number of workers relative to the population. As in the nonprofit work-force in general, we see high levels of female employment in this occupational sec-tor. We also see increasing levels of education among workers, a trend in line with the increasing level of education and skills for the entire Canadian workforce. We also see national trends in job patterns mirrored in this occupational group, with a large number of workers employed in non-standard work situations. Finally, we see that although incomes in the sector are rising steadily there is a gendered gap in earnings, with men out-earning women by approximately 14%.

These statistics and trends provide new insight into this segment of the non-profit labour force, but also raise questions about employment trends in com-munity and social service work, factors driving growth in the sector, employment in other occupational categories that are common in the nonprofit sector, and trends in employment and worker attributes in the nonprofit sector in general. While the 2011 census data will help to answer some of these questions, more data and research will be required to better understand the nonprofit sector.

Conclusion

These statistics and trends provide new insight into this segment of the nonprofit labour force.


Statistics Canada. (2012). CANSIM Table 051-0001: Estimates of population, by age group and sex for July 1, Canada, provinces and territories. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

Statistics Canada. (2012). Census of Canada Table 97-563-XCB2006069: Wage and Salary Statistics (4) in Constant (2005) Dollars, Work Activity in the Reference Year (3), Highest Certificate, Diploma or Degree (5), Age Groups (5A), Occupation - National Occupational Classification for Statistics 2006 (720B) and Sex (3) for the Paid Workers 15 Years and Over With Wages and Salaries of Canada, Provinces, Territories, 2000 and 2005 - 20% Sample Data. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

Statistics Canada. (2012). Census of Canada Table 97-563-XCB2006062: Employment Income Statistics (4) in Constant (2005) Dollars, Work Activity in the Reference Year (3), Occupation - National Occupational Classi-fication for Statistics 2006 (720A) and Sex (3) for the Population 15 Years and Over With Employment Income of Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2000 and 2005 - 20% Sample Data. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

Statistics Canada. (2012). Census of Canada Table 97-559-XCB-2006023 [special tabulation]: Selected Industries (NAICS 2002)(34), Selected Occupations (NOC-S 2006)(66), Class of Worker (6) and Sex (3) for the Labour Force 15 Years and Over of Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2006 Census. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

References


AppendixTable 1. Age and Education Level of Community and Social Service Workers

2000 2005n % n %

Age group

15-24 11,620 17% 14,340 14%

25-44 38,780 56% 53,110 52%

45-64 18,855 27% 33,685 33%

65 and over 455 1% 1,225 1%

Total 69,710 100% 102,360 100%

Highest level of education

Certificate or diploma below bachelor level 49,525 71% 71,340 70%

University certificate or degree 20,180 29% 31,020 30%

Bachelor’s degree 15,790 23% 23,990 23%

University certificate, diploma or degree above bachelor level 4,390 6% 7,030 7%

Total 69,710 100% 102,360 100%

Table 2. Number of Community and Social Service Workers by province and territory, 2000 and 2005

Community and Social Service Workers

Community and Social Service Workers per 100,000 population

2000 2005 2000 2005

Newfoundland and Labrador 875 1,245 166 242

Prince Edward Island 400 725 293 525

Nova Scotia 1,755 3,135 188 334

New Brunswick 1,405 2,055 187 275

Quebec 12,545 19,305 171 255

Ontario 24,555 39,640 210 316

Manitoba 3,540 5,415 309 460

Saskatchewan 2,865 3,305 28 333

Alberta 8,335 11,740 277 353

British Columbia 12,925 14,985 320 357

Yukon 270 275 887 862

Northwest Territories 0 315 0.0 726

Nunavut 0 0 0.0 0.0

a profile of community and social service workers … report draws on data from the census of canada...

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