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How to support adult caregivers?

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  • Joan Costa-Font

    (LSE, UK, and IZA, Germany)

Abstract

Some studies estimate that the value of time spent on unpaid caregiving is 2.7% of the GDP of the EU. Such a figure exceeds what EU countries spend on formal long-term care as a share of GDP (1.5%). Adult caregiving can exert significant harmful effects on the well-being of caregivers and can exacerbate the existing gender inequalities in employment. To overcome the detrimental cognitive costs of fulfilling the duty of care to older adults, focus should be placed on the development of support networks, providing caregiving subsidies, and enhancing labor market legislation that brings flexibility and level-up pay.

Suggested Citation

  • Joan Costa-Font, 2023. "How to support adult caregivers?," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 510-510, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:iza:izawol:journl:2023:n:510
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Costa-Font, Joan & Vilaplana-Prieto, Cristina, 2022. "Mental health effects of caregivers respite: Subsidies or Supports?," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 23(C).
    2. Joan Costa‐Font & Edward C. Norton & Luigi Siciliani & Joan Costa‐Font & Cristina Vilaplana‐Prieto, 2017. "Does the Expansion of Public Long‐Term Care Funding Affect Saving Behaviour?," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 38, pages 417-443, September.
    3. Van Houtven, Courtney Harold & Coe, Norma B. & Skira, Meghan M., 2013. "The effect of informal care on work and wages," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 240-252.
    4. Van Houtven, Courtney Harold & Norton, Edward C., 2004. "Informal care and health care use of older adults," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 1159-1180, November.
    5. Bonsang, Eric, 2009. "Does informal care from children to their elderly parents substitute for formal care in Europe?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 143-154, January.
    6. Costa-Font, Joan & Jiménez-Martín, Sergi & Vilaplana-Prieto, Cristina, 2022. "Do Public Caregiving Subsidies and Supports affect the Provision of Care and Transfers?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    7. Leigh, Andrew, 2010. "Informal care and labor market participation," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 140-149, January.
    8. Nicola Ciccarelli & Arthur Soest, 2018. "Informal Caregiving, Employment Status and Work Hours of the 50+ Population in Europe," De Economist, Springer, vol. 166(3), pages 363-396, September.
    9. Carmichael, Fiona & Charles, Susan, 2003. "The opportunity costs of informal care: does gender matter?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 781-803, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    informal caregiving; employment; care substitution; employment regulation; care leaves; flexible work times; mental health; well-being;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J17 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Value of Life; Foregone Income

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