Michigan Direct-Care Workforce to Grow by 32 Percent by 2020

The latest occupational data for Michigan shows that its direct-care workforce is projected to grow by 32 percent between 2010 and 2020, compared to an overall job growth rate of just 8.5 percent.

The data, which is featured on the PHI Michigan website, indicates that more than 32,000 new jobs will be necessary to meet rising statewide demand for direct care.

Home health aides alone account for 18,310 of the new direct-care jobs.

With an expected growth rate of 53.4 percent by 2020, home health aides are projected to be Michigan’s single fastest-growing occupational category, followed by personal and home care aides (42 percent) and market research analysts and specialists (37.4 percent).

Nearly half of Michigan’s direct-care workforce (49.5 percent) currently live in households earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

— by Matthew Ozga