Social Workers Who Left the Profession: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Surveyed 70 Master of Social Work graduates (aged 28–69 yrs) who were not employed in social work to investigate reasons why they left the field of social work. Reasons given by Ss for their decisions to leave the field tended to be of 3 types: (1) those critical of certain aspects of social work employment and reflective of frustration or discontent, (2) those referring to personal life circumstances, and (3) those citing the attractions of nonsocial work activity or employment. Specific criticisms most often mentioned low salaries, the unavailability of suitable jobs, the uncertainties of funding for programs and positions, and burnout related to heavy workloads and stress on the job. Other reasons involved beliefs that social work is ineffective in helping people or in resolving the major problems in society, criticisms of agency politics, and conflicts with supervisors or other agency staff. (6 ref) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)