Client description: National professional association dedicated to a specific field of human services, representing approximately 5,000 members.

Practice area: Market Research and Analysis; Strategic Positioning and Planning

Geographic scope: U.S.

Industries involved:Associations, Education, Hospitality, Community services, Healthcare

Services applied:Market sizing, Economic impact analysis

Business challenge:Human services professionals trained in the target discipline play a significant role across education and multiple career settings. However, there is limited consolidated data on the size, reach, and economic importance of the field and because it is not classified as a distinct industry sector but rather spans multiple occupations and industries, measuring its overall impact presents a significant challenge.

The association sought to estimate the size and economic contribution of the represented human services field in the United States. This required a methodology capable of mapping where professionals work and quantifying their contributions across sectors.

Methodologies: The study combined extensive secondary research with economic primary data collection and quantitative modeling. Primary research by surveying 1,247 professionals complemented secondary data to capture insights on career pathways, employment settings, and professional roles. The analysis incorporated data mining, triangulation, and economic statistical modeling.

The result: By integrating multiple data sources, we generated estimates of the size and economic significance of the field, including indicators such as the number of educational programs, graduate pipeline, employment levels, wages, and modeled contributions to economic output.

These insights provided one of the first data-driven assessments of the field’s economic footprint, enabling the organization to strengthen advocacy efforts and better communicate the profession’s value and impact. The report was turned into a publication and press release by the client.