The Characteristics of Employed Female Caregivers and their Work Experience History

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The Characteristics of Employed Female Caregivers
and their Work Experience History

• Sheri Sharareh Craig
• Alfred O. Gottschalck
• U.S. Census Bureau
• Housing and Household Economic Statistics
  Division
• Labor Force Statistics Branch

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Introduction
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Background

• According to projections from the Bureau of Labor
  Statistics, females will make up nearly half of
  the work force (47 percent), and 51 percent of
  the new additions to the labor force, between
  2004 and 2014.
• As female workforce participation increases,
  caregiving could pose even greater financial
  challenges for many female workers given that
  females compose the majority of caregivers.
• Data from the 2004 Survey of Income and Program
  Participation (SIPP) show that individuals who
  interrupt their work careers to provide care
  (i.e., caregivers) have lower mean earnings
  compared to those who do not have such work
  career interruptions (i.e., non-caregivers).

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Employed caregivers were more likely to be women.
Percent Distribution of Caregiver Status by Sex
(N61.2 million) (N53.6 million)
(N14.6 million)
(N100.4 million)
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Objective

• The purpose of this research is to investigate
  the type of work interruptions experienced by
  currently employed women by comparing the
  demographic and socioeconomic characteristics,
  such as sex, age, race, educational attainment,
  occupation, and earnings, of women with past
  caregiving and non-caregiving work histories.

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Percent Distribution of Employed Women by Work
Interruption Status
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Focus of Analysis

• What are the characteristics of employed women
  who have interrupted their work life at any time,
  for 6 months or longer, to provide care for a
  minor child, an elderly family member, or a
  disabled but non-elderly family member compared
  to women who have not had such interruptions?

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Universe

• Employed women 25-62 years old, who have ever
  worked six straight months or longer.
• N 53.6 million

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Definitions

• Caregivers Those who had a work interruption
  for 6 months or longer from a paid job or
  business because they were taking care of a
  child, an elderly family member, or a disabled
  but non-elderly family member.
• N 13.6 million
• Non-caregivers Those who had a work
  interruption for 6 months or longer at a paid job
  or business for reasons other than caregiving or
  did not have any work interruptions over their
  work life.
• N 40.1 million

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Definitions - continued

• Work Interruption An interruption of work
  lasting 6 straight months or longer.
• Employed Workers Persons with a job or business
  during the reference period.
• Main Caregiving Responsibility The main
  caregiving responsibility during the caregiving
  episode that is, for a minor child, an elderly
  family member, or a disabled but non-elderly
  family member.

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Data Source

• Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)
• Multistage-stratified sample of the U.S. civilian
  noninstitutionalized population
• Approximately 38,000 longitudinally interviewed
  households
• Typically each panel is 2 ½ to 4 years in length
• Collects demographic, labor force, income, and
  program participation data
• SIPP wave one, 2004 panel collected from
  FebruaryMay 2004

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Data Source - continued

• The Employment History Topical Module
• Collects data on
• Patterns of employment
• Number of times away from work (i.e.,
  interruptions of 6 months or longer)
• Reasons for work interruption (e.g., for
  caregiving)
• Length of interruption

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Employment Status of Women 25-62 Years by
Caregiving Status

• Female caregivers and Female non-caregivers
• were equally likely to be currently employed.

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Caregivers only
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Employed women who had interruptions in their
work life for caregiving were more likely to be
White non-Hispanic and less likely to be Black.
Percent Distribution of Race by Caregiving
American Indian or Alaska Native and Native
Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
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Employed female caregivers were more likely to be
married than non-caregivers.
Percent Distribution of Marital Status by
Caregiver Status
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Employed female caregivers were more likely to
have cared for a child during their caregiving
interruption.
Percent Distribution of Main Caregiving
Responsibility Among Employed Women
Caregivers (n13.6 million)
(n12.8 million) (n0.5
million) (n2.1 million)
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Forty-three percent of female caregivers had two
or more work interruptions in their lifetime for
caregiving.
Percent Distribution of Employed Female
Caregivers by Number of Interruptions (n13.6
million)
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Caregiving women with two or more interruptions
currently earned less per month than caregiving
women with only one interruption for caregiving.
Mean Monthly Earnings for Employed Women
Caregivers by Number of Interruptions for
Caregiving The difference between mean earnings
is statistically significant at the 10 level.
2004 dollars
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Caregiver vs. Non-caregiver Comparisons
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Caregivers were more likely to be between 45 and
62 years old.
Percent Distribution of Age by Caregiver Status
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Employed female caregivers were less likely to
have a bachelors degree or higher levels of
educational attainment than non-caregivers.
Percent Distribution of Educational Attainment by
Caregiver Status
Non-caregiver
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There were small differences between
employed female caregivers and non-caregivers in
terms of work experience. This may be due to
caregivers being older on average and/or working
longer to catch up as a result of lost time in
the workforce.Percent Distributions of Employed
Female Caregivers and Non-caregivers by Work
Experience

• Caregiver

• Non-caregiver

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Employed female non-caregivers were more likely
to be in management, professional and related
occupations, and employed female caregivers were
more likely to be in sales and office
occupations.
Percent Distribution of Occupation by Caregiver
Status
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Although the majority of the employed female
caregivers worked full time over their work
careers, those who had interruptions to take care
of someone were more likely to currently work
part time compared to those who never had such
interruptions.
Percent Distribution of Caregivers and
Non-caregivers by Work Status
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Caregiving women had lower mean monthly earnings
than non-caregiving women.
Mean Monthly Earnings for Caregiver and
Non-caregiver Women The difference between mean
earnings is statistically significant at the 10
level.
2004 dollars
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Summary
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• Compared with non-caregivers, caregivers were
  more likely to
• Be older
• Be less educated
• Possess similar work experience levels
• Work in a sales or office type occupation
• Be part-time employees
• Earn less money

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• Caregivers were more likely to
• Be White non-Hispanic
• Be married
• Have taken care of a child rather than an elderly
  or disabled family member
• Have interrupted their work careers two or more
  times
• Earn more if they only have one work interruption
  compared to those caregivers with multiple work
  interruptions

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Contact Information
Sheri Sharareh Craig sheri.s.sharareh.craig_at_censu
s.gov Phone [phone] U.S. Census Bureau