Broader Impacts of the Care Economy
Care work plays a vital role in both the economy and society, yet much of its value goes unrecognized.
Tracking paid care jobs, unpaid care activities, caregiving hours, and the economic value of care highlights its critical role in sustaining families and communities.
By measuring the number of caregivers, total time investment, and economic value of paid and unpaid care, we can better understand how care contributes to society.
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State Comparison
Care Force
Paid Care Force Participation
Overall
2025 |
48M in paid care force
18%of all adults
Source: Yearly CPS ASEC, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
The Paid Care Force Participation metric tracks the share of the total population (aged 18 and over) employed in paid care occupations among all those working or looking for work.
Unpaid Care Force Participation
Overall
2024 |
155M in unpaid care force
62%of all adults
Source: Yearly 5-year pooled ATUS (excluding 2020), US Census Bureau via IPUMS. Secondary eldercare is not included in 2007–2014 five-year pooled data periods due to ATUS limitations
The Unpaid Care Force Participation metric tracks the share of the total population (aged 18 and over) engaged in at least 3 hours of informal, unpaid care work in a day.
Time Investment
Paid Care Hours Worked
Overall
2025 |
240M total hours per day
28% of all formal hours per day
Source: Yearly CPS ASEC, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
Paid Care Hours Worked refers to the total hours worked in a day in paid care jobs by the entire U.S. population (aged 18 and over), also shown as the share of all formal hours worked in a day.
Unpaid Care Hours Worked
Overall
2024 |
1.4B total hours per day
26% of all informal hours per day
Source: Yearly 5-year pooled ATUS (excluding 2020), US Census Bureau via IPUMS
Unpaid Care Hours Worked refers to the total hours worked in unpaid care activities in a day by the entire U.S. population (aged 18 and over), also shown as the share of all informal hours worked in a day. pp = percentage point
Economic Impact
Economic Value of Paid Care
Overall
2025 |
$4.8B per day
7%of the economy
Source: Yearly CPS ASEC, US Census Bureau via IPUMS; Gross Domestic Product, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Economic Value of Paid Care estimates the total annual economic contribution of paid care work by aggregating the salaries of all paid care workers. Chained to 2017 dollars.
Economic Value of Unpaid Care
Overall
2024 |
$8.1B per day
13%of the economy
Source: Yearly 5-year pooled ATUS (excluding 2020), US Census Bureau via IPUMS; Gross Domestic Product, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Economic Value of Unpaid Care estimates the total annual economic contribution of unpaid care work by multiplying the total hours spent in unpaid care activities by the federal minimum wage. This is a lower-bound estimate of the value of unpaid care. Chained to 2017 dollars.
Labor Force Participation
Labor Force Participation of Mothers
Overall
2026 |
78M in most recent month
75%of 18+ mothers
Source: Monthly CPS, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
Mothers' Labor Force Participation replicates the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) methodology to create estimates of the labor force participation throughout the population of women aged 18+ with children.
Labor Force Participation of Fathers
Overall
2026 |
80M in most recent month
93%of 18+ fathers
Source: Monthly CPS, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
Fathers' Labor Force Participation replicates the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) methodology to create estimates of the labor force participation throughout the population of men aged 18+ with children.
Absences for Care
Time off for Care by Mothers
Overall
2026 |
1.8M per week in most recent month
2%of 18+ employed mothers
Source: Monthly CPS, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
Mothers' Time Off for Care shows the number and percentage of women aged 18+ with children who took time off from work to care for a family member.
Time of For Care by Fathers
Overall
2026 |
850K per week in most recent month
1%of 18+ employed fathers
Source: Monthly CPS, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
Fathers' Time Off for Care shows the number and percentage of men aged 18+ with children who took time off from work to care for a family member.
NILF for Care
Mothers NILF and Homemakers
Overall
2026 |
22M in most recent month
82%of 18+ mothers
Source: Monthly CPS, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
Mothers NILF and Homemakers shows the number and percentage of men aged 18+ wioth children who are not in the labor force and report acting as a home maker as the main activity that they do.
Fathers NILF and Homemakers
Overall
2026 |
1.6M in most recent month
28%of 18+ fathers
Source: Monthly CPS, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
Fathers NILF and Homemakers shows the number and percentage of men aged 18+ wioth children who are not in the labor force and report acting as a home maker as the main activity that they do.