ABSTRACT
This chapter examines conditions of work, especially pay, for the largely female homecare workforce in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and into the cost-of-living crisis. The study focuses on California, the largest state by population size in the United States and the fifth largest economy in the world. The California population is aging and demands for home-based care, as an alternative to more expensive nursing homecare, are growing. However, job quality in homecare is often poor, and the low wages paid to workers mean they struggle to meet their basic needs. These difficulties were exacerbated in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing cost-of-living crisis, which significantly impacted the care workforce more generally. The chapter situates the care crisis as a gendered issue, highlighting how structural inequalities and gendered expectations around caregiving have placed disproportionate burdens on women, particularly women of colour, who comprise the majority of the homecare workforce. We analyse homecare workers’ earnings in the context of these two turbulences, focusing on pay disparities across California. We also provide an overview of the gains these workers have obtained through organising and collective bargaining. Other policy aspects are considered such as the role the public sector can play in enhancing homecare worker dignity.
