The dynamics of social care and paid work in mid-life

Individuals’ involvement in multiple roles over the lifecourse, such as family roles (caring for older parents or dependent children) and paid employment may affect the balance of time dedicated to each role. Existing research has evidenced that a growing number of mid-life individuals are faced with ‘juggling’ multiple roles. This study investigates the relationship between the provision of informal care to older parents/parents-in-law and employment status of adult children in mid-life. The study analyses unique panel data for a cohort of individuals born in 1958 in Britain. The sample comprises all respondents who were at risk of providing care (i.e. with at least one surviving parent/parent-in-law) and who were in employment at age 46. Logistic regression is used to investigate the impact of caring at ages 46 & 50 on employment status at age 50, controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, respondent’s health status and partner’s employment status. Continuous or recurrent caring was significantly associated with reducing or stopping work, with the effects mediated by the carers’ own occupation and health status and by their partner’s employment status. Amongst those caring at age 50, those providing higher intensity care (10+ hours a week) were more likely to have adjusted their employment patterns than those in less intense caring roles, and male carers were more likely to have adjusted their employment patterns than female carers. Duration and intensity of care provision matter. The ability to combine paid work and parental care in mid-life will be increasingly important in the context of rising longevity