Care Work and the Racial Wealth Gap

Care work has forever been critical to the health and basic functioning of our society. However, as we detailed in our September 2022 report with SkillWorks, Care Work in Massachusetts: A Call for Racial and Economic Justice for a Neglected Sector, long histories of racial prejudice and gender discrimination have led to a systematic devaluation of these jobs. Poor working conditions and low wages for care workers have profound consequences not just on employee retention or the immediate economic security of care workers, but also the long-term wealth accumulation for care workers and their families.