Nevada’s Care Workforce: Obstacles and Opportunities for Policymakers

The care economy includes “the paid and unpaid labor and services that support caregiving in all its forms.” This work includes caring for children, the elderly, and those who are ill or have disabilities. Care work is often undervalued, underpaid, and without a fair system of work benefits in place (e.g. contracts, paid leave, workers’ rights) that in many cases falls disproportionately on women and communities of color. In this policy brief, we examine the care economy in Nevada by focusing on three areas of care: (1) child care; (2) elder care; and (3) mental and behavioral health care. In all three areas, Nevada is well below its expected share of the workforce needed to provide these services to our residents. In addition to evaluating the current landscape of Nevada’s care workforce, we offer policy recommendations and actions that can be taken to improve Nevada’s care economy now and in the future.