Informal carers and employment: summary report of a systematic review

The impact of caregiving on the ability of the UK working age population to participate in the labour market poses a growing economic and social policy challenge. Carers who exit employment are unlikely to return after their caregiving period ends. The challenge for the UK has been noted, with one study indicating that more UK carers exit employment than elsewhere in Europe. A systematic review was carried out within Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in order to enhance understanding of the employment-level consequences of informal caring. The research objective of the secondment was to carry out a systematic review of literature on the potential triggers for informal carers leaving the labour market to provide care. The systematic review answered the following questions: (1) what causes carers to experience a change in labour market status from employed to either unemployed or economically inactive as a result of caring responsibilities; and (2) when does this labour market transition occur in the individual's caring journey? The report highlights the barriers faced by carers who wish to be in employment, the strategies in-work carers use to retain employment and the barriers to employment re-engagement when a carer has left the labour market.

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