Jobs and Income Maine has a shortage of home health workers. Is there any way to fix it? According to the Maine Center for Economic Policy, a progressive think tank, 23,500 hours per week of home health assistance go unfilled in the state because there […] Portland Press Herald Posted October 15, 2026 Tags Direct Care Work, Incomes, Jobs
Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget The Prosperity Agenda 2026: A roadmap toward a flourishing Maine Even with recent gains in wages, many Maine families are still grappling with the affordability of necessities like food, housing, and medical care. This is especially acute […] Lauren Stark Posted October 8, 2026 Tags Budget, Child Care, Corporate Power, Direct Care Work, Economic Security, Economy, Education, Family and Medical Leave, Food Insecurity, Health Care, Housing, Incomes, Job Quality, Jobs, Medicaid, Paid Family and Medical Leave, Seniors, Tax Fairness, Wages
Health Care, Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy Care is an affordability issue At a glance: Mainers are increasingly concerned about the cost of living, including the cost of care Child care, direct care, and health care are essential services […] Lauren Stark Posted October 1, 2026 Tags Caregiving, Child Care, Direct Care Work, Economic Security, Economy, Health Care
Health Care, Taxes and Budget Attacks on MaineCare distract from funding cuts and gaps At a glance: The Trump administration recently targeted Maine’s Medicaid program, MaineCare, with claims of widespread fraud This attack is part of a pattern of politicians using […] Lauren Stark Posted August 11, 2026 Tags Budget, Direct Care Work, Federal, Health Care, Medicaid
Health Care, Jobs and Income How can Maine stem its healthcare gaps? An estimated 30,000 hours of home care go undelivered each week in Maine, according to an analysis of MaineCare data by Maurer and the Maine Center for […] Central Maine Newspapers Posted July 4, 2026 Tags Direct Care Work, Health Care, Incomes, Job Quality
Jobs and Income 2026 Session Recap: Workers and the care economy The second session of the 132nd legislature included the passage of several laws that will improve working conditions for Mainers and make it easier to get access […] James Myall Posted April 30, 2026 Tags Caregiving, Child Care, Direct Care Work, Economic Security, Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget Facing critical shortage, bipartisan legislation would hike wages for direct care workers One in five direct care workers receive federal food assistance, and about a third of home health aides suffer from food insecurity, said James Myall, an economic […] Maine Morning Star Posted January 21, 2026 Tags Budget, Direct Care Work, Job Quality, Wages
Jobs and Income Older Mainers navigate care gaps later in life Direct care workers — which include nursing assistants, home health aides and personal care aides — earn less in Maine than others in the state with a […] Portland Press Herald Posted October 19, 2025 Tags Direct Care Work, Seniors
Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget LD 1932: Maine direct care bill could raise pay, improve services LD 1932, a direct care bill sponsored by Speaker Ryan Fecteau and carried over from the first legislative session, gives Maine a big chance to keep caregivers, […] Arthur Phillips Posted August 20, 2025 Tags Budget, Direct Care Work, Economic Security, Revenue, Seniors, Wages
Health Care, Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget Legislative Rundown: First regular session of the 132nd Co-authored by James Myall, Arthur Phillips & Maura Pillsbury In the first half of 2025, MECEP presented 110 pieces of testimony before the Maine Legislature that affect […] MECEP Posted July 30, 2025 Tags Appropriations Committee, Budget, Caregiving, Child Care, Consumer Protection, Corporate Power, Direct Care Work, Economic Security, Farmworkers, Health Care, Housing, Immigration, Income Tax, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Revenue, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes
