From 2011 to 2021, the direct care workforce added nearly 1.5 million new jobs, growing from 3.2 million workers to 4.7 million. As a result of low wages and part-time hours, median annual earnings for direct care workers were only $21,700. These and other new data points are now available from UCSF HWRC partner PHI’s “Direct Care Workers in the United States: Key Facts.”
The annual snapshot of the direct care workforce includes its demographics, occupational roles, job quality challenges, and projected job openings. The report includes detailed overviews of three segments of this workforce: home care workers, residential care aides, and nursing assistants in nursing homes.