Social assistance provided 1.3 million nongovernment wage and salary jobs in 2002. About 60 percent were in individual and family services.
In 2002, about 73 percent of social assistance establishments employed fewer than 20 workers; however, larger establishments accounted for most jobs.
Social assistance workers were somewhat older than workers in other industries. About 43 percent were 45 years old or older, compared with 38 percent of all workers. Jobs in social assistance are concentrated in large States with heavily populated urban areas, such as New York and California.