It’s a sign of difficult times for many. Social workers and counselors are now among some of the nation’s most in-demand professionals, according to new findings in the [1] Jobfox Top 25 Most Wanted U.S. Job Candidates: June 2008 rankings released in June.Social workers and counselors ranked as the seventh most wanted professionals, according to the June report from Jobfox ([2] www.jobfox.com), a free online service that uses precision matching to help qualified candidates link up with compatible job opportunities. The Counseling/Social Work profession cracked the Top 25 for the first time since Jobfox began tracking job trends in March 2008.

“For about a year now, there’s been a steady increase in the demand for social workers and counselors,” said Debbie Sikes, the clinical director for the National Counseling Group Inc., a private group of therapists and counselors providing community-based and outpatient services to individuals and families throughout Virginia.
“With increases in gas and food prices, we are seeing more stress and more demand for outreach services - especially among low-income families,” Sikes said. “Money and job pressures are often the triggers to higher levels of anxiety and emotional problems.”

The June report is available at: [3] http://www.jobfox.com/Site/Employer/pdf/TopJobsJune08.pdf