PHI, along with coalition partners in three states, has announced the launch of a multi-year advocacy initiative that aims to improve jobs for direct care workers at the state level. This builds on a growing wave of states that increasingly support this critical but undervalued workforce. The “Essential Jobs, Essential Care” initiative will focus on advancing policy solutions for direct care workers across three areas:
- Increasing wages and reimbursement rates.
- Promoting workforce innovation.
- Improving data collection.
PHI estimate, the long-term care sector will need to fill 8.2 million job openings in direct care, including 1.3 million new jobs and 6.9 million openings spurred by workers who leave this sector or exit the labor force altogether. The COVID-19 crisis has deepened this challenge.
The coalition will advocate for policy reforms over the next two years that stabilize these jobs, improve care for consumers, and help employers better recruit and retain a workforce characterized by high turnover.
