March is the annual National Social Work Awareness Month celebration – a campaign to inform the public, policymakers, and legislators about the good work of social workers in providing services in a variety of sectors, including hospitals and mental health centers; federal, state and local governments; schools; and other locations.
According to the 2024 Social Work Month Proclamation, “the primary mission of social work is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic and complex needs of all people” and “social workers put a particular focus on helping people who are vulnerable, oppressed or living in poverty.”
The National Association of Social Workers provides the following information:
“The demand for social workers is reflected in the statistics – the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates the field will grow exponentially. There will be more than 782,000 social workers in the United States by 2030. According to the BLS website ‘Overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.”
“However, social workers need support to meet the high demand for their vital work. Many social workers must earn a master’s degree and go through the expensive process to gain licensure; yet some aren’t able to afford a livable wage. According to the BLS, the median pay for social workers in 2022 was $55,350.”
National Social Work month is a time to celebrate social workers for all the work they do in the various fields in which they work. During March Social Work Month take time to learn more about the many positive contributions of the social work profession. More importantly, take time to thank and support social workers in your community.
Learn more about National Social Work Month.
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