Our society relies on care workers. Improving their jobs is essential for a sustainable care economy.
Care workers, who are disproportionately women of color and immigrants, all too often struggle to sustain themselves and their families with their work. Despite offering essential services that so many people in our society rely on at some point in their lives, their work is undervalued and, often, unsafe. Improving jobs in the care industry is not just important for the workers affected, who deserve jobs that meet their economic and social needs. It is also vital for those who rely on care for themselves or their loved ones–who need the care economy to be sustainable and well-functioning.
Leaders working on job quality in the care industry have made significant progress, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, in raising awareness of the needs of care workers. This guide is a starting point for those working to improve work in the care industry and includes research, recommendations, and actionable tools specific to care work.
Improving Care Work
Not sure how to get started? Our featured Care Industry resources can help guide your experience.
The recording of Valuing Care: Principles for a Post-Pandemic Care Economy, a 2021 event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program, features practitioners and advocates, who discuss the important role of caregiving and how to build an equitable care economy.
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This case study by the Aspen Economic Opportunities Program from 2021 describes how Sunrise Treatment Center in Cincinnati, Ohio has centered good jobs for workers and quality care for patients, showing that both are achievable in the care industry.
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