(Radio Iowa) – The salaries of Iowa’s direct care workers have remained mostly stagnant in recent years, according to a recent report by the Iowa Caregivers, which represents certified nursing assistants and home health aides. The organization compared Iowa Workforce Development data from 2019 to 2022, the most recent year available. It found, for example, the median wage for certified nurse aids increased just 62-cents during the period to 14-dollars-42-cent per hour. Di Findley, executive director of Iowa Caregivers, says low wages are causing many workforce issues.

“It contributes to not being able to attract people,” Findley says, “and to the shortages, and it contributes to the high turnover, and the cost of turnover.” Findley says wages growing by less than five percent over four years is directly contributing to the worker shortage in the industry.

“These individuals are grossly underpaid,” she says, “and they’re not being paid a wage that’s consistent with the importance of the work that they do.” The report comes as many Iowa nursing homes are facing chronic staffing shortages of direct care workers.