Patterns of caregiving and work: evidence from two surveys

Using data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79), this article examines the patterns of caregiving during midlife of those born in the years 1957 to 1964. The two datasets examine different measures of caregiving: eldercare examined in the ATUS and care for a household member who is living with a chronic illness or a disability examined in the NLSY79. The ATUS shows that approximately 24 percent of men and women provide eldercare. The NLSY79 shows that about 7 percent of men and women care for a household member who is living with a chronic illness or a disability. For both types of care, women are more likely to provide care than men. In the ATUS, the provision of eldercare increases with education and employment. In the NLSY79, the provision of care to household members who are living with a chronic illness or a disability is negatively related to education and employment.