A path to investing in New York City’s social services workers

Low-pay. High staff turnover. Stressful workloads. These are some of the most pressing concerns among those working in foster care, substance abuse clinics, homeless services, and other social services.

A new report from the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School concludes that a post-pandemic New York City should prioritize reducing pay inequities and improving career advancement for social services workers at nonprofits funded by the city.

New York City’s human services workforce is disproportionately made up of women and people of color. In fact, roughly one in three full-time social services workers are Black. But though jobs in the sector have expanded rapidly compared with overall private-sector employment, pay disparities remain. Real wages for full-time private social services workers in New York City have mostly remained flat for the past 10 years, and have actually fallen for part-time workers. Disparities also exist within the sector. People of color in social services earn less on average compared to their white counterparts, though that gap narrows for workers with master’s degrees.

The report makes the case that many of these issues could be addressed via a career ladder, which could create clear pathways that entry-level workers could take to advance to higher-level positions. Because much of the social services sector is funded by the city government, such an initiative would require support and financing from the city as well.

“A social services career ladder will not only aid retention and recruitment but will likely also improve the quality of service delivery and support the City’s objectives of alleviating poverty and enhancing broader economic opportunities,” the report reads. 

The City University of New York, the Center for New York City Affairs and the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development had planned to launch a Social Services Career Ladder Program this fall but delayed its implementation because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial stage of the program would have offered tuition reimbursement for workers in organizations contracting with several city agencies.

“While the COVID-19 pandemic crisis commands the immediate attention of the City and the social services sector, when the public health challenges ease, attention should return to the unfinished business of launching the Social Services Career Ladder Program, and then nurturing a phased expansion,” the report summarizes.