The care economy is a fundamental segment of the labor force, supporting the needs of vulnerable groups such as children, older adults, and those with health challenges and disabilities. A new report from the New Jersey Statewide Data System provides an overview of how states and scholars conceptualize the care economy. Drawing from an array of literature and expert consultations, the report outlines the industries and occupations that comprise the care economy in New Jersey. Researchers highlight seven occupations that make up the paid care workforce in New Jersey and show that these occupations are concentrated in 12 industries in the state. This report is the first in a three-part series on the care economy in New Jersey.

The report was written by Ann Obadan, Ph.D., Research Project Manager at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, and Amarachi Chuka-Maduji, former Research Project Assistant at the Heldrich Center and currently at the Delaware Department of Labor.