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Unpaid Care for Elderly Parents and Labor Supply Among Older Working-Age Men and Women Across Europe

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Title: Unpaid Care for Elderly Parents and Labor Supply Among Older Working-Age Men and Women Across Europe
Authors: Labbas, Elisa, Stanfors, Maria
Contributors: Lund University, Lund University School of Economics and Management, LUSEM, Department of Economic History, Lunds universitet, Ekonomihögskolan, Ekonomisk-historiska institutionen, Originator, Lund University, Profile areas and other strong research environments, Lund University Profile areas, LU Profile Area: Proactive Ageing, Lunds universitet, Profilområden och andra starka forskningsmiljöer, Lunds universitets profilområden, LU profilområde: Proaktivt åldrande, Originator, Lund University, Lund University School of Economics and Management, LUSEM, Centre for Economic Demography, Lunds universitet, Ekonomihögskolan, Centrum för ekonomisk demografi, Originator
Source: Feminist Economics.
Subject Terms: Social Sciences, Economics and Business, Economic History, Samhällsvetenskap, Ekonomi och näringsliv, Ekonomisk historia, Other Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Annan samhällsvetenskap, Genusstudier
Description: With population aging, more adults across Europe face competing demands of working for pay and caring for elderly family members. Associated tradeoffs are expected to be negative, gendered, and vary across contexts with different levels of gender equality, public support for eldercare, and work-family balance. Using SHARE data from 2004–20, this study investigates how unpaid caregiving to independently living parents relates to labor supply among mature working-age (50–64) men and women across Europe. Results find limited tradeoffs between unpaid caregiving and labor supply, even where public support for eldercare is low. Caregiving associates with men’s and women’s employment and full-time work in similar ways. Gender differences nevertheless exist in both paid work and caregiving across Europe, especially in Continental and Southern Europe. These differences are established before midlife and build up across the life course and should be addressed when designing policies for longer working lives in Europe.
Access URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/13545701.2025.2530081
Database: SwePub
Description
Abstract:With population aging, more adults across Europe face competing demands of working for pay and caring for elderly family members. Associated tradeoffs are expected to be negative, gendered, and vary across contexts with different levels of gender equality, public support for eldercare, and work-family balance. Using SHARE data from 2004–20, this study investigates how unpaid caregiving to independently living parents relates to labor supply among mature working-age (50–64) men and women across Europe. Results find limited tradeoffs between unpaid caregiving and labor supply, even where public support for eldercare is low. Caregiving associates with men’s and women’s employment and full-time work in similar ways. Gender differences nevertheless exist in both paid work and caregiving across Europe, especially in Continental and Southern Europe. These differences are established before midlife and build up across the life course and should be addressed when designing policies for longer working lives in Europe.
ISSN:13545701
14664372
DOI:10.1080/13545701.2025.2530081