This fact sheet provides a brief statistical overview of the direct care workforce in New York State, which includes more than 560,000 personal care aides, home health aides, and nursing assistants. This sheet includes data on demographics, job quality challenges, projected job openings, job growth compared to other occupations, and recommendations.
Key Takeaways
Comprising more than 560,000 personal care aides, home health aides, and nursing assistants, the direct care workforce is New York State’s largest workforce.
In New York, the typical direct care worker is a woman of color, and many workers are immigrants to the United States.
As a result of low wages and annual earnings, 40% of New York State's direct care workers live in or near poverty and 50% rely on public assistance.
