The Labor Market and
Long-term Health
Care: A Perspective on
Nursing Aides
Will The“Invisible Hand” Provide For Direct-Care Needs?
By Susan K. Friedman
Susan K. Friedman is a Lecturer
and Internship Coordinator in the
Department of Human and
Organizational Development at
Peabody College, Vanderbilt
University. She has a BA in economics
from Wellesley College, an
MA in economics from Western
Michigan University, and an MBA
from Arizona State University.
The aging of the baby boom generation underlies
anticipated rapid growth in jobs for nurses and support
personnel for longer-term care. Research on help-wanted
advertising shows strong recruiting activity for nurses.
However, for nursing aides and related positions, there
is substantially less intensity, although there are regional
differences. This overall finding conflicts with
demand-based expectations and may imply a market
that will not adequately fulfill projected needs.
