Evidence and Insights
As Lead Agency for social worker workforce planning, the SWRB has developed a suite of resources, data, evidence and insights for policy makers, employers, sector leaders and others with responsibility for social workers within their workforces.
We gather a range of information, data and insights from the social work profession through our annual workforce survey, research reports, educator surveys and in-depth reports spotlighting key employer groups.
Key findings from the annual social worker workforce survey [link] show that:
- Recruitment and retention are significant challenges for the profession
- Retirement and burnout/high workloads continue as key challenges
- 16% of respondents plan to leave the profession in the next five years, which is a loss of over 700 social workers. When extrapolated across the full practising workforce, it indicates a loss of 1,400 social workers
- The profession is ageing
- The average age of survey participants was 49 years old, with over a quarter in the peak age group 50-59 years. Data from SWRBs register shows that one in five registered social workers are aged 60 or above
- The proportion of Māori social workers is increasing
- The proportion of Māori, and Pacific Peoples in the social work profession is growing
- The number of males in the workforce is low (14%)
- Male social workers tend to work in criminal justice (29% male) and mental health (21% male)
- The social work profession is qualified and experienced
- Social workers work in a range of settings, and most hold a qualification
- 58% of survey participants describe themselves as ‘experience practitioners’ while 11% describe themselves as ‘beginning practitioners’
- The majority (86%) of social workers enter the profession through the New Zealand qualification pathway, this information allows us to understand the primary pipeline into the profession.
- 12% of the workforce are overseas qualified
- 2% come through the prior experience (section 13) pathway.
Annual Social Worker Workforce Reports
We produce an Annual Social Worker Workforce Report, based on a survey of all practising social workers across Aotearoa. The response rates to this survey are consistently high, with 60% in 2024 – which gives us confidence in the results and representation of the profession.
The survey aims to understand the composition of the current practising social worker workforce. Social workers are invited to share information about their roles, experiences, opinions, and beliefs. Over the years, the survey has consistently covered key areas, allowing us to track trends in workforce composition, sustainability, knowledge and skill development, and employer support. In 2022, a new section on the “standing of the profession” was added, and in 2023, a sixth area focusing on safety and conduct was included.
The survey enables us to build an evidence base to support social work workforce planning and decision-making.
Download the 2022 and 2023 annual social worker workforce reports:
SWRB Annual Social Worker Workforce Report 2023-PDF
SWRB Workforce Survey Report 2022-PDF
Spotlight Reports
Further to our Annual Social Worker Workforce Report, we also focused three spotlight reports on social workers employed by: Oranga Tamariki, in health settings and non-government organisations (NGOs).
The spotlight reports draw on the findings from our annual Social Workers Workforce Survey 2023 and complement the Social Workers Workforce Report 2023.
Some key findings
- Oranga Tamariki was the largest employer of practising social workers in 2023 (26%).
Social workers in the NGO sector made up the largest subset of the workforce (28%).
The health sector is the third largest employer category after NGOs and Oranga Tamariki. - Making a positive difference in people’s lives remains the highlight ranked motivation for entering and remaining in the profession across all the employer groups.
- The Oranga Tamariki workforce trends slightly younger than the full practising workforce.
- Around 17% of social workers in health reported plans to leave the profession in the next five years, with around half of those specifying retirement as the reason for their planned departure.
- Social workers employed by NGOs report that the recruitment and retention of social workers is one of the biggest challenges facing the profession.
Workforce Survey 2023 - Health Spotlight
