Washington, D.C. — A new analysis from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Center for American Progress shows that the $400 billion proposal in President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” package would create more than 777,000 good-paying home care jobs across the country over the next decade, addressing the industry’s severe job shortage.
The United States is in the midst of a national care crisis. With more than 10,000 people turning 65 every day, there is skyrocketing demand for affordable, quality, essential care that seniors and people with disabilities need to live independently at home. Yet due to exceptionally low wages and a lack of affordable benefits such as health care, paid sick time, and training opportunities, home care workers have experienced high rates of turnover and workforce shortages. As a result, working people are often forced to leave their jobs to serve as unpaid caregivers for their loved ones.
President Biden’s proposed $400 billion investment in home- and community-based services (HCBS) would be a once-in-a-generation opportunity that could boost economic growth by building a well-respected, well-protected, and well-paid union home care workforce that can answer the call for care, allowing working people to keep their jobs, pursue careers, or even launch new businesses knowing that their loved ones are getting the care they need.
SEIU and CAP’s new analysis was produced by experts at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Political Economy Research Institute (PERI): Dr. Lenore Palladino, PERI research fellow and assistant professor of economics and public policy, and research assistant Chirag Lala. It presents state-by-state data on the direct and indirect job creation that a $400 billion investment in care could yield, with estimates ranging from at least 1,400 jobs created in Wyoming to more than 152,000 jobs created in California.
Read the full analysis here.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Zahir Rasheed at [email protected].