PHI: PHI Report Highlights Record Growth in Direct Care Workforce, Warns Federal Policy Changes Threaten Job Quality and Stability
The direct care workforce in the United States experienced rapid growth over the past decade, adding nearly 1.8 million jobs to reach almost 5.4 million workers, driven primarily by a rapidly aging national population. Despite this expansion and projections that direct care will generate more new jobs than any other single occupation over the next decade, workers continue to face severe economic instability. In 2024, the median hourly wage stood at just $17.36 with median annual earnings under $26,000, leaving more than a third of the workforce in low-income households and nearly half relying on public assistance. Composed overwhelmingly of women, people of color, and immigrants, this essential workforce now faces heightened recruitment and retention risks due to emerging federal policy changes, including Medicaid funding cuts, shifting immigration rules, and weakened labor protections.
