TY - JOUR
T1 - The Association Between Informal Caregiving and Exit From Employment Among Older Workers
T2 - Prospective Findings From the UK Household Longitudinal Study
AU - Carr, Ewan
AU - Murray, Emily T
AU - Zaninotto, Paola
AU - Cadar, Dorina
AU - Head, Jenny
AU - Stansfeld, Stephen
AU - Stafford, Mai
PY - 2016/12/6
Y1 - 2016/12/6
N2 - Objective: This study investigated associations between informal caregiving and exit from paid employment among older workers in the United Kingdom.
Method: Information on caregiving and work status for 8,473 older workers (aged 50–75 years) was drawn from five waves of Understanding Society (2009–2014). We used discrete-time survival models to estimate the associations of caring intensity and type on the probability of exiting paid work (from >0 to 0 hours/week) in the following year. Models were stratified by sex and working hours, and adjusted for age, self-rated health, long-standing illness, occupation, and partner’s employment status.
Results: No association was found between caregiving intensity and exit from paid work. Full-time employees who pro- vided care within the household (women and men) or cared for a partner/spouse (women only) more likely to stop working, compared to those not providing care. Women who entered a caregiving role (more than 10 hours/week) were between 2.64 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.46, 4.79) and 4.46 (95% CI: 2.53, 7.88) times more likely to exit work (for part-time and full-time workers, respectively), compared to women providing no care.
Discussion: This study highlights the onset of caregiving as a key period for older workers. Ensuring that caregiving responsibilities are adequately recognized and supported may help extend working life.
AB - Objective: This study investigated associations between informal caregiving and exit from paid employment among older workers in the United Kingdom.
Method: Information on caregiving and work status for 8,473 older workers (aged 50–75 years) was drawn from five waves of Understanding Society (2009–2014). We used discrete-time survival models to estimate the associations of caring intensity and type on the probability of exiting paid work (from >0 to 0 hours/week) in the following year. Models were stratified by sex and working hours, and adjusted for age, self-rated health, long-standing illness, occupation, and partner’s employment status.
Results: No association was found between caregiving intensity and exit from paid work. Full-time employees who pro- vided care within the household (women and men) or cared for a partner/spouse (women only) more likely to stop working, compared to those not providing care. Women who entered a caregiving role (more than 10 hours/week) were between 2.64 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.46, 4.79) and 4.46 (95% CI: 2.53, 7.88) times more likely to exit work (for part-time and full-time workers, respectively), compared to women providing no care.
Discussion: This study highlights the onset of caregiving as a key period for older workers. Ensuring that caregiving responsibilities are adequately recognized and supported may help extend working life.
KW - Caregiving
KW - Extended working
KW - Understanding Society
KW - Random effects logistic regression
U2 - 10.1093/geronb/gbw156
DO - 10.1093/geronb/gbw156
M3 - Article
SN - 1079-5014
JO - Journals of Gerontology Series. B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
JF - Journals of Gerontology Series. B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
ER -