National Core Indicators Releases 2020 Staff Stability Survey Report

National Core Indicators (NCI) issued its 2020 Staff Stability Survey Report and COVID-19 Supplement. The NCI is a collaboration between the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services, the Human Services Research Institute, and state developmental disability agencies to collect comprehensive data on the direct support professional (DSP) workforce. The survey collected data from 26 states plus the District of Columbia, encompassing information from 2,987 providers.

This publication includes germinal data from the start of the pandemic, including new demographic breakdowns and demonstrative increases in vacancy and turnover. Key findings are below.

Turnover

The weighted average turnover rate for DSPs in 2020 was 43.6%, ranging from 26.7% to 79.5% among the states surveyed.

Wages

Across all service types, responding agencies paid a median hourly wage of $13.36.

Tenure of DSPs

Of the DSPs employed by respondents as of Dec. 31, 2020:

• 15.4% had been employed for less than 6 months
• 14.3% had been employed between 6 and 12 months
• 18.7% had been employed between 12 and 24 months
• 12.5% had been employed between 24 and 36 months
• 39% had been employed 36 months or more

Of the DSPs who left employment between Jan. 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020:

• 28.9% had been employed for less than 6 months
• 18.8% had been employed between 6 and 12 months
• 16.3% had been employed between 12 and 24 months
• 7.9% had been employed between 24 and 36 months
• 16.2% had been employed 36 months or more

Demographics of DSPs

Agencies reported the following average racial/ethnic breakdown of their DSP workforce:

• 38% White
• 37.3% Black or African American
• 1.9% Asian
• 5.6% Hispanic/Latinx

Agencies reported the following average breakdown of gender identity of their DSP workforce:

• 71.3% Female
• 23.5% Male
• 5% Don’t know gender identity
• 0.1% Non-conforming