Gov. Walz announces pay increase, new benefits for personal care assistants in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Personal care assistant workers and providers in Minnesota will see higher wages and new benefits this month, Gov. Walz announced Friday.

As part of an effort to improve the PCA workforce shortage, the statewide minimum wage will increase from $13.25 to $14.40 per hour starting Friday. It will increase again on July 20 to $15.25.

This pay raise was a result of an agreement between the state and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) during the 2021 legislative session. It will help address some challenges that PCAs and the organizations managing their work are facing.

The agreement also includes the following additional benefits: one hour of paid time off for every 30 hours of work, the number of paid holidays increase from five to seven, funding for the Minnesota Department of Human Services and SEIU to continue working on voluntary training opportunities.

"The more than 40,000 PCAs working in our state are a lifeline for people with disabilities and essential for them to live active lives in their communities," Human Services Assistant Commissioner Gertrude Matemba-Mutasa said in the press release. "We hope improved pay and benefits can help draw more talented people into this critical profession."

Minnesotans who participate in the consumer-directed community support program, which allows them to design series to fit their needs and hire their own PCAs, will also have increased budgets.