Demographic Differences of Emotional Labor among Frontline Social Workers in China

Despite growing attention to the development of the social work profession in China, research on the emotional labor of Chinese frontline social workers remains limited. Our study aimed to extend our understanding of the demographic differences of emotional labor among Chinese social workers. 605 social workers completed the emotional labor scale including multiple dimensions online (78.90% female, for age group: under 25 = 29.60%, 26–30 = 29.93%, 31-40 = 36.80%, and over 40 = 8.44%). We conduct ANOVA analysis to examine the demographic differences. Our findings supported that: (1) female social workers reported significantly higher levels of surface acting compared to their male counterparts. (2) Older social workers reported lower levels of surface acting and higher levels of deep acting than younger ones. (3) Married social workers reported higher levels of deep acting and lower levels of surface acting than unmarried and spouse-change social workers. (4) Social workers with intermediate or higher professional qualifications showed longer duration and higher frequency of emotional labor than those with no or only primary-level certifications. (5) Social workers with a social work–related educational background demonstrated longer emotional labor duration than those from unrelated fields. (6) Social workers earning 4,000 yuan or less reported longer emotional labor duration but lower emotional identification. Our study revealed that Chinese social workers with more personal and professional resources tend to perform more deep acting and sustain emotional labor longer, while those with fewer resources rely more on surface acting and show lower emotional identification. Targeted support is needed to promote emotional well-being and professional sustainability.