Teacher recruitment and retention in New Brunswick: 2022 and 2023 update

Abstract

High-quality teaching is an important contributor to student success, and understanding how teachers enter, remain in, and leave the public school system is central to workforce planning in New Brunswick. As demographic shifts and retirements continue to shape the teaching profession, updated evidence on employment patterns can help clarify how the workforce is evolving. Using linked administrative data, this study examines teacher recruitment, attrition, and provincial retention through 2022 and 2023, extending earlier DataNB research that covered the 2013–2021 period.

Drawing on NB Teacher Payroll data, Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission graduate data, and Citizen Data, the study analyzes the share of Bachelor of Education graduates who become public school teachers in NB, the characteristics associated with teachers’ exits from the public school system, and whether former teachers continue to reside in the province. Results show continued growth in the number of active teachers, low annual attrition, and differing provincial retention patterns between graduates who do and do not enter the public school system.