scope of nurse aid shortage |
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Compared to the workforce in general, nurse aides are more likely to be female, non-white, unmarried, and with children at home. While half of all workers and about two-thirds of service workers are women, 80 to 90 percent of nurse aides are women. In addition, nurse aides tend to be somewhat younger than the overall workforce, and a high proportion are minorities. About half of nurse aides are non-white, compared to only one-quarter of all workers. Aides in hospitals have slightly higher rates of employer-provided health and pension benefits than the general workforce. However, aides in nursing homes and home health care are less likely than other workers to have employer-provided health insurance and much less likely to be covered by a pension. Many nurse aides are among the working poor. Aides working in nursing homes and home care are much more likely than other workers to be uninsured, living below the poverty level, and receiving public benefits such as food stamps and Medicaid. Nursing home and home health care aides are also two to three times more likely as other workers to be unmarried and have children at home. Among single parent nursing home and home health care aides, 35 to 40 percent are below poverty, and 30 to 35 percent receive food stamps. Nationally, the mean hourly wage for a nurse aide in all settings was $8.59 in 1999, yet wages vary widely across states. The competitiveness of nurse aide wages with those of other service or production jobs where they might be likely to find employment also varies widely across states, as does the relative economic standing of nurse aides compared to other workers. As a percentage of state per capita income, the mean annual earnings of a nurse aide in 1999 ranged from a high of 85 percent in Alaska to a low of 48 percent in the District of Columbia. Go back to resources for nursing schools, resources, and jobs |
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