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
2025 |
157M 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
2025 |
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
2025 |
$8B per day
12%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.
Parental Labor Force Participation
Mothers LFP
Overall
2026 |
70M working in most recent month
75%of all Mothers (18+)
Source: Monthly CPS, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
The Labor Force Participation of Mothers metric tracks the share of mothers (aged 18 and over) who are either employed or actively looking for work among all mothers in the population. This data is limited to mothers who live with their children.
Fathers LFP
Overall
2026 |
70M working in most recent month
95%of all Fathers (18+)
Source: Monthly CPS, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
The Labor Force Participation of Fathers metric tracks the share of fathers (aged 18 and over) who are either employed or actively looking for work among all fathers in the population. This data is limited to fathers who live with their children.
Work Absences for Care
Mothers Absences
Overall
2026 |
1.9M absent during the reference week
3%of Employed Mothers (18+)
Source: Monthly CPS, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
The Work Absences of Mothers metric tracks the number and percentage of employed mothers (aged 18 and over) who reported being absent from work due to child care problems or other family/personal obligations. This data is limited to mothers who live with their children.
Fathers Absences
Overall
2026 |
780K absent during the reference week
1%of Employed Fathers (18+)
Source: Monthly CPS, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
The Work Absences of Fathers metric tracks the number and percentage of employed fathers (aged 18 and over) who reported being absent from work due to child care problems or other family/personal obligations. This data is limited to fathers who live with their children.
Not In Labor Force (NILF) due to Care Responsibilities
Mothers NILF for Care
Overall
2026 |
19M in most recent month
81%of NILF Mothers (18+)
Source: Monthly CPS, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
The Mothers NILF Due to Care metric tracks the number and percentage of mothers (aged 18 and over) not in the labor force who report “taking care of house and family” as their reason for not working or seeking work. This data is limited to mothers who live with their children.
Fathers NILF for Care
Overall
2026 |
1.4M in most recent month
34%of NILF Fathers (18+)
Source: Monthly CPS, US Census Bureau via IPUMS
The Fathers NILF Due to Care metric tracks the number and percentage of fathers (aged 18 and over) not in the labor force who report “taking care of house and family” as their reason for not working or seeking work. This data is limited to fathers who live with their children.