Shaping Care Provision
Paid and unpaid care markets are fundamental to both our economic and social well-being. Care work enables individuals to participate in the formal labor force, sustain families, and invest in future generations, but its value extends far beyond economic measures. Care fosters social cohesion and enhances quality of life for both caregivers and recipients.
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Provider Diversity
All Care Provision
How to read this chart
Total hours of care provision, paid and unpaid, provided each day by care occupations and activities.
DEVELOPMENTAL
512M hours/day
DAILY LIVING
954M hours/day
HEALTH
192M hours/day
Source: 5-year pooled CPS ASEC (2020-2024) & 5-year pooled ATUS (2019-2024, excluding 2020), US Census Bureau via IPUMS; Note: The expected annual earnings for unpaid activities are an estimate of the value of the activity if done in the paid economy. To estimate this, we created a crosswalk of similar activities from care jobs in the paid sector and assumed the median wage value based on the crosswalk. Some state/group combinations lack sufficient responses for accurate estimates and are excluded from the chart.

GEOGRAPHY

CARE PROVISION FOCUS

CARE PROVISION TYPE