State profile — Tier 1

Connecticut

An early adopter of domestic worker protections (DWBOR 2015) with a strong paid leave program (CT Paid Leave, 2022) and SEIU 1199NE representation securing a $23/hr minimum for PCAs. Connecticut has the lowest nursing home staff shortages nationally at 4% and an auto-indexed minimum wage ($16.94 in 2026).

$23/hr
SEIU 1199NE negotiated PCA minimum
$16.94
State minimum wage (2026, auto-indexed)
4%
Nursing home staff shortages (lowest nationally)
2015
Domestic Workers Bill of Rights enacted
Category 1

The Economic Reality

# Metric Connecticut Status
1.1BLS median hourly wage (SOC 31-1120)$18.83/hr (mean)Public
1.2PHI median hourly wage (all DCW, ACS)TBDGap
1.3Median annual earnings (DCW)∼$39,160 (mean annual)Public
1.4MIT living wage (1 adult, 0 children)∼$25.28/hrPublic
1.5Wage gap (living wage minus BLS median)∼-$6.45/hr (∼$13,416/yr)Derived
1.6State minimum wage (2026)$16.94/hr (2026)Public
1.7Local minimum wage (highest city)N/A (no local min wages; $16.94 statewide)Public
1.8Low-income household rate (<200% FPL)∼28%Estimated
1.9Public assistance reliance (state-specific)∼49% (national proxy)Proxy
1.10Housing cost-burdened rate∼38%Estimated
1.11Uninsured rate (DCW)∼5%Estimated
1.12PHI Overall State Index rankingTBD (verify PHI tool)Gap
1.13Wage competitiveness vs. similar jobsTBDGap
1.14Genworth median home health aide rateTBDGap
1.15Genworth median NF semi-private rateTBDGap
1.16Family Care capitation PMPM (NH LOC)TBDGap
1.17Blended HCBS avg cost (all acuity)TBDGap
1.18NF private pay monthly avgTBDGap
1.19HCBS-to-NF cost ratio (state-specific)TBDGap
1.20Exemption aggregate savings (national est.)$500-700M/yr (∼0.2% of HCBS)Estimated
1.21Per-worker OT loss (50hr/wk worker)∼$3,900/yr (at CT wages)Derived
Category 2

The Workforce Crisis

# Metric Connecticut Status
2.1Headline caregiver vacancy rate4% (lowest nationally for NF)Public
2.2Open caregiver positionsTBDGap
2.3Available job seekers (entire labor market)TBDGap
2.4Annual turnover rate∼79.2% (national proxy)Proxy
2.5Individuals denied/delayed servicesTBDGap
2.6Agencies unable to staff all hoursTBDGap
2.7Nursing homes closed since 2016TBDGap
2.8NF beds empty due to staffingTBDGap
2.9Total direct care workers∼55,000-65,000 (est.; BLS ∼30,000 for SOC 31-1120)Estimated
2.10New jobs projected (2022–2032)TBDGap
2.11Total openings incl. separations (2022–2032)TBDGap
2.12Population 75+ growth projectionTBDGap
2.13Workforce demographics: % women∼85%Estimated
2.14Workforce demographics: % people of color∼55-60%Estimated
2.15Workforce demographics: % immigrants∼25-30%Estimated
2.16Health insurance offered by agenciesTBDGap
2.17Family caregivers providing 80%+ of all careYesPublic
2.18Unpaid caregiver hours/economic value∼430K caregivers (AARP)Estimated
Category 3

Legal & Policy Framework

# Metric Connecticut Status
3.1State companionship/OT exemption statusOT protections (DWBOR 2015); consumer employers must pay OT; live-in workers exempt from OT premiumPublic
3.2State overtime threshold40 hrs/wk (non-live-in); live-in exempt from OT premiumPublic
3.3Domestic Workers Bill of RightsYes (2015)Public
3.4Paid sick leave lawYes — Major 2025 expansion: threshold lowering to 25 employees (2025), 11 (2026), 1 (2027)Public
3.5Paid family/medical leaveYes — CT Paid Leave (2022); up to 12 wks (+2 pregnancy); 0.5% payroll deductionPublic
3.6Primary self-directed Medicaid programCommunity First Choice (CFC)Public
3.7Self-directed program enrollment∼12,000 (SEIU 1199NE members)Estimated
3.8Primary managed LTC programTBDGap
3.9Managed LTC enrollmentTBDGap
3.10Combined HCBS enrollmentTBDGap
3.11HCBS share of LTSS spending∼55-65%Estimated
3.12HCBS waiting lists statusNo waiting list (CFC is state plan option)Public
3.13Spouses as paid Medicaid caregiversTBDGap
3.14Parents of minors as paid caregiversTBDGap
3.15COVID family caregiver relaxations permanent?TBDGap
3.16SDPC maximum wage (self-directed)TBDGap
3.17OT rate cap in self-directed programsTBDGap
3.18IRIS/SDPC weekly hour capTBDGap
3.19Minimum fee schedule for HCBSTBDGap
3.20Wage pass-through requirementNo wage pass-through policyPublic
3.21MCO contract wage floor provisionsTBDGap
3.22Union representation (home care workers)SEIU 1199NE (∼12,000 PCAs; $23/hr minimum per contract)Public
Category 4

The Geographic Divide

# Metric Connecticut Status
4.1Travel time/mileage reimbursement mandateTBDGap
4.2Caregiver-to-senior ratio by countyNOT COMPILEDFOIA
4.3Counties with zero/limited home care agenciesNOT COMPILEDFOIA
4.4Rural broadband coverage (for EVV compliance)TBDGap
4.5EVV system & vendorTBDGap
4.6EVV offline/low-connectivity accommodationTBDGap
4.7EVV hard launch date (personal care)TBDGap
4.8Rural vs. urban NF admission ratesNOT COMPILEDFOIA
4.9Rural nursing home closures since 2016TBDGap
4.10Rural HCBS alternatives (adult day, ALF)TBDGap
4.11Projected NF bed shortage (statewide)TBDGap
Category 5

State Medicaid Toolkit & Reform Levers

# Metric Connecticut Status
5.1Medicaid rate-setting authority modelCFC state plan + Medicaid managed carePublic
5.2Minimum fee schedule exists?TBDGap
5.3Fee schedule codified in statute or budget?TBDGap
5.4Wage pass-through % requirementNo wage pass-throughPublic
5.5State-level 80/20 compensation rule?No (federal CMS rule faces rescission)Public
5.6MCO contract cycle & next renewalTBDGap
5.7MCO workforce adequacy reporting required?TBDGap
5.8IRIS IBA formula inputs reflect market wages?TBDGap
5.9Premium pay structure for extended hours?No statewide premium payPublic
5.10State domestic service OT exemption statusPartial (DWBOR 2015; live-in exempt from OT premium)Public
5.11Legislative path to eliminate state OT exemption?Legislative fix needed for live-in exemptionAnalysis
5.12Federal Medicaid loss projection (10yr)TBDGap
5.13Annual new cost to state taxpayersTBDGap
5.14State-directed payment limit impact (eff. 2028)110% Medicare cap; exact impact TBDPending
5.15Provider tax moratorium statusTBDGap
5.16NF staffing rule moratorium (10yr)Applies (est. 13,000 add'l deaths/yr nationally)Public
5.17Work requirements effective dateDec 31, 2026 (childless adults)Public
Category 6

Federal FLSA & Companionship Exemption Status

# Metric Connecticut Status
6.12013 DOL rule status (as of March 2026)Technically in effect; enforcement suspended July 25, 2025 (FAB 2025-4)Public
6.2Proposed rescission rule published?Yes — July 2, 2025 (90 FR 28976)Public
6.3Final rescission rule published?No (as of March 2026)Monitor
6.4Chevron deference statusEliminated — Loper Bright v. Raimondo (2024)Public
6.5Private litigation still viable?Yes — 2013 rule provisions still invocable by private partiesPublic
6.6DOL estimated annual transfer (2013 RIA).8M (medium scenario, 7% discount)Public
6.7Adjusted current estimate-700M annuallyEstimated
6.8GAO post-implementation findingHour caps, not cost absorption; pay did not increase; workforce declined 11.6%Public
6.9Familial caregiver % in self-directed programs50-78% nationally; CA IHSS >70%Public
6.10Disparate impact demographics85% female; 67% POC; 27% Black; 26% HispanicPublic
6.11CMS 80/20 Access Rule statusFinalized May 2024; faces likely rescission/non-enforcementPublic

Data sourcing

Every metric links to its primary source. Public = publicly available. Derived = calculated from public sources. Proxy = proxy or imprecise. Estimated = estimated value. FOIA = requires FOIA request. Partial = partially available. Gap = data not available. Full methodology and source registry available on the Methodology page.