http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/11/news/economy/fastest-growing-job/index.html?iid=H_E_News
Home health care aides are the fasting growing job in America due to the aging population of the Baby Boomers. About ever eight seconds a Baby Boomer turns 65. It is predicted that this job will grow 70% between 2010 and 2020. However, the average hourly wage for health care aides is only $9.70, and they are exempt from federal minimum wage and overtime laws. Even though some states have passed protections for these workers, a quarter of home health aides make less than federal minimum wage. Most of these workers are women and minorities, and then majority are not very educated. These factors make it harder for them to have bargaining power against companies. However, an increase in wages means that there is a higher cost for the elderly who need care.
Home health care aides are the fasting growing job in America due to the aging population of the Baby Boomers. About ever eight seconds a Baby Boomer turns 65. It is predicted that this job will grow 70% between 2010 and 2020. However, the average hourly wage for health care aides is only $9.70, and they are exempt from federal minimum wage and overtime laws. Even though some states have passed protections for these workers, a quarter of home health aides make less than federal minimum wage. Most of these workers are women and minorities, and then majority are not very educated. These factors make it harder for them to have bargaining power against companies. However, an increase in wages means that there is a higher cost for the elderly who need care.
3 comments:
I can see it coming already, "this is why need unions!" No way. If workers dislike the way they are compensated they are free to seek employment elsewhere.
If this is such a fast growing job, something should be done to make sure the people doing it are pleased and getting good pay. It kind of sucks that we have so many Baby Boomers to take care of, but it's obviously not something our country can simply ignore, and I'm shocked to hear the home health care aides aren't more protected.
I actually had a family member who dropped out of school to pursue a full-time career as an in-home health care aid last year. I've talked to him since and he seems very confident in the job's stability and pay, however I wasn't aware that it was such a quickly growing field. He does not have a degree and as far as I'm aware he had to go through training to be certified and it was a fairly simple process.
I wonder if there will be a backlash after the boomers. It seems like a bubble might be forming in this industry, I'm not sure we will have a demand for so many health care aids after the boomers have passed. That is a long ways off though, so maybe the problem will take care of itself over time.
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