Although employment is central to the lives of social work clients, it is seldom a focus in social work education. The authors conducted a survey of field instructors in a large MSW program to assess the importance of work-related issues in the lives of those they serve in their social service agencies. This experienced group of practitioners reported how work-related issues affect individual clients and their caseloads generally. Respondents were asked about low-wage employment, lack of skills, disabilities, work-family balance, and problems that clients experience on the job. The results document actual problems encountered in practice and highlight the need for more attention to work-related issues in social work education. (Contains 5 tables.)