The Disadvantaged Home Care Personal Support Worker: Differences in Job Characteristics, Unionization, Pensions, Participation, and Wages by Care Sector in Canada

Personal Support Worker (PSW) supply is struggling to match the rising demand within many countries, particularly in the home and community (HC) sector. Although care demand projections are often sector-specific, our understanding of sector discrepancies on the PSW labour supply side is limited. This paper compares PSW job characteristics by means, proportions, and tests of significance across HC, nursing and long-term care home (LTC), and hospital sectors utilizing a sample of Canadian PSWs (1996–2010). Compared to LTC and hospital sectors, HC PSWs had significantly lower average wages, labour participation levels, permanent positions, job duration, and unionization rates. Relative wage distribution graphs showed how sector wage discrepancies existed across the wage distribution. These distinctions made the comparatively disadvantaged HC PSW position particularly salient, with important labour supply implications by sector. The relative attractiveness of HC sector jobs will become more critical as the rise in HC demand is projected to continue.