The costs of being a carer: labour force participation and lost earnings among older working aged Australians

[Extract] The demand for care for disabled, ill and elderly people is projected to grow significantly around the world. This care can be provided in both formal and informal settings: formally by people employed in the health care sector and informally by relatives or friends. Informal carers are generally not paid for their caring responsibilities, but these responsibilities can have an impact on the capacity of the carer to undertake paid employment. We have examined the association between being a carer and labour force participation for those aged 45 years and over, and analysed the effect of being a carer on their household income. We undertook a cross-sectional analysis of the baseline data of the 45 and Up Study participants aged 45 to 64 years