Unprecedented Growth in Home Healthcare

New York is experiencing a boom in home healthcare employment. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the state added approximately 57,000 home health and personal care aide jobs between 2023 and 2024, representing a 10% increase.

This surge brings New York’s total workforce in this sector to an estimated 623,000 as of May 2024, according to the BLS’s Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.

What makes New York’s growth notably noteworthy is its density. The state now boasts 171 home health aides per 1,000 residents aged 65 or older. This figure isn’t just high; it’s the highest in the nation, exceeding the national average by a staggering 153% and surpassing even California, the state wiht the second-highest rate, by 24%.

This rapid expansion raises crucial questions about the factors driving this growth and its implications for the state’s healthcare system and economy. is it an aging population, increased awareness of in-home care options, or perhaps a combination of factors?

A National Leader in Job Creation

New York’s contribution to the national home healthcare workforce is ample. The state’s addition of 57,000 jobs accounts for nearly one-fifth of all home health aide positions created across the entire United States during the same period.

Within New York, the “home health and personal care aides” category constitutes a significant 38% of all job growth. This sector, largely funded by Medicaid, the state’s safety-net health plan, has become the largest job category in New York, exceeding “retail sales persons” by a ratio of 2.7 to 1. This dominance underscores the critical role home healthcare plays in the state’s employment landscape.

The reliance on Medicaid funding also raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of this growth. As the demand for home healthcare continues to rise, will the state be able to adequately fund the program and ensure quality care for its residents?

Overall Healthcare Workforce Expansion

The growth in home healthcare is part of a broader expansion of New York’s healthcare workforce. The latest BLS data reveals that the state’s overall healthcare sector has grown to 1.4 million workers in 2024, representing a 7% increase, which is about three times the average rate for all occupations statewide.

Compared to pre-pandemic levels, New York’s healthcare workforce is now 21% larger, with an addition of 244,000 jobs as May 2019. This growth has substantially altered the composition of the state’s workforce, with healthcare now accounting for 15% of all occupations, up from 12% five years ago.

However, the majority of this increase has occurred in lower-paying “healthcare support occupations,” which have grown by 8%, or 62,000 jobs. While “healthcare practitioners and technical occupations,” including doctors, nurses, and other licensed caregivers, have also seen growth, it’s been at a slightly slower pace of 6%, or 36,000 jobs.

registered Nurses See Significant Gains

Registered nurses (RNs) have also experienced notable growth in New York. The state saw a one-year increase of 16,000 RN positions, representing a 9% rise. This makes RNs the second-largest healthcare occupation and the fourth-largest overall in the state.

New York now has a total of 204,000 RNs, which is 14% higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase reflects the critical role nurses played during the pandemic and the ongoing demand for their expertise in various healthcare settings.