DataNB report finds rising exits among New Brunswick social workers; UNB program addresses burnout and workload
Author: Tim Jaques
Posted on Jul 6, 2026
Category: UNB Saint John , UNB Fredericton , Research , DataNB
New Brunswick adds more social workers, but frontline capacity in the social worker workforce declines as more leave practice or shift to non-frontline roles.
New Brunswick has more registered social workers than ever, but a growing share is stepping away from frontline roles, according to a new study from DataNB at the University of New Brunswick.
To address these pressures, the University of New Brunswick is preparing social work students to manage burnout and workload early in their careers.
Workforce growth and changing roles in New Brunswick
The study, authored by principal investigator and DataNB director Dr. Ted McDonald with senior data analysts Pablo Miah and Jacob Morehouse, tracks social worker workforce data in New Brunswick from 2010 to 2024. It found that the number of registered social workers rose 39 per cent, from 1,635 in 2010 to 2,275 in 2023.
At the same time, the share working in frontline roles dropped from 73 per cent to 67 per cent. The share in non-frontline roles rose from 16 per cent to 22 per cent, pointing to a shift within the social worker workforce as overall numbers increased.
Recruitment remains uneven. About 53 per cent of Bachelor of Social Work graduates in the province register within a year of graduation, rising to 67 per cent at some point after graduation. This means that about a third of New Brunswick graduates do not register in the province as social workers at all.
Retention remains strong, but exits rise
Retention is strong early in a social work career. About 97 per cent of new registrants remain after one year, 85 per cent after three years, and 75 per cent after five years. Overall, about 95 per cent remain registered from one year to the next.
Even so, exits from practice have increased. The share of social workers stopping practice rose from about five to six per cent a year before 2019 to around 10 per cent after 2019.
The report suggests this shift could be due to short staffing, rising caseloads, and burnout. These pressures increased during the COVID-19 period and have continued since.
Annual attrition averages about five per cent, with about four per cent leaving the profession and not returning. Among those who do return, 40 per cent come back within one year and 70 per cent within three years.
“Even among those who do enter the profession, recent trends point to mounting strain. Most social workers stay in the profession (signalled by the renewal of their registration each year). Yet, a higher proportion is stepping away from active practice, with exits nearly doubling during the pandemic period and staying elevated,” the authors write.
“While some who leave practice return within a few years, the sustained increase in exits underscores ongoing challenges in maintaining a stable frontline workforce.”
UNB addresses the need
To help meet this need in the social worker workforce, the University of New Brunswick launched a Bachelor of Social Work program on its Saint John campus in 2024, with the first cohort graduating this past spring.
The program includes training on workload, burnout, and self-care to prepare students for frontline care roles.
“There are structural aspects to burnout, such as workload, that can only be addressed through redesigning how work happens, but people in these high-stress jobs, such as social work, also need to be aware of and respond to job stress before it turns into burnout,” said Dr. Leslie Jeffrey of the Department of History and Politics at UNB.
Along with Dr. Lisa Best of the Department of Psychology, Dr. Jeffrey developed the Wellbeing for Care Providers course for UNB social work students. The course draws on psychology, neuroscience, and contemplative studies to help students understand stress and manage their own well-being by learning to reflect, reframe, and restore in the face of stress.
“We read about digital distraction and its effects, but we also engage in a digital detox. We learn about the benefits of engagement with nature and mindfulness, and then students analyze the effects of regular mindful walks in nature on their own state of mind,” said Dr. Jeffrey.
“This way, students are already trained in several stress-management practices they can draw on throughout their careers before burnout sets in.”
Recruitment matters, but it is not enough. Keeping social workers in frontline roles by holistically preparing them for the realities of the profession will shape the future of care and strengthen the social worker workforce in New Brunswick.