The Impact of Family Care on the Employment and Financial Situation of Carers

Abstract

The problems of population aging and the increasing burden on people caring for relatives are relevant both for foreign countries and for Russia. This article presents an analysis of the impact of providing long term care on the employment opportunities and financial situation of households with caregivers. The data of the survey 'Person, family and society' conducted in 2020 provides the basis of the analysis. More than 20 % of respondents in the aged 18 to 72 have relatives in need of care, and about half of those who have such relatives take care of them. More than 10 % of carers feel that their caregiving has a negative impact on their employment and has led to the involuntary dismissal or the reduction of working time. As a result, the material situation in such households worsened and the risks of low income, fewer savings, poverty, and extreme poverty increased. Regression analysis shows that the probability that carers might quit their jobs or reduce their work hours due to caregiving decreases if other relatives assist with care, and increases if intensive care is required, or older relatives have difficulty moving around the house, cannot buy groceries or cook, or can hardly be left alone during the day. In addition, older age and living in regional capital cities increase a negative impact of care on employment. Dismissal or reduction of time worked due to caregiving reduces the average per capita income of careers by 25 %. If a social worker or a nurse assists with care the caregiver’s average per capita income increases by 9 %.