New Survey Highlights the Need for Policymakers and Employers to Invest in Care

Key Findings

1. Caregiving responsibilities impact people of multiple age groups, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses.
   • Age: Among caregivers, individuals ages 18-34 (32%) and ages 44-65 (31%) are the most likely to provide regular care to their family members.
     • Ages 18-34: Primarily care for infant children (25%) and children aged 1-5 (67%).
     • Ages 44-65: Primarily care for an older parent or family member (56%).
   • Ethnicity:
     • White caregivers represent 65% of caregivers among voters.
     • Hispanic caregivers represent 16%.
     • Black caregivers represent 12%.
     • Asian/other caregivers represent 7%.
   • Socioeconomic Status: People who provide regular care for their family members typically report lower household incomes:
     • 37% of caregivers have an annual household income lower than $50,000.
     • 35% of caregivers have an annual household income between $50,000-$100,000.
     • 28% of caregivers have an annual household income higher than $100,000.
2. Caregiving demands impact caregivers’ work, financial status, and education.
   • Career impacts: More than half (52%) of caregivers report that caregiving responsibilities have affected their careers, with 26% reporting a significant impact.
     • 48% have had to take unexpected time off work.
     • 30% have had to reduce their regularly scheduled work hours at least once a week in the past year due to caregiving responsibilities.
     • 25% have had to decline a promotion or new job opportunity.
   • Financial strain: More than 2 in 3 (67%) caregivers report that caregiving has impacted their personal finances, with 31% stating it has had a significant impact.
     • 37% have accrued credit card debt.
     • 36% have been unable to save for emergencies.
     • 34% have had to dip into retirement or savings accounts.
     • 30% have been unable to save for retirement; and
     • 22% have had to miss or be late on mortgage or rent payments.
   • Educational setbacks: 1 in 3 (33%) caregivers report that caregiving has impacted their education, with 17% stating it has had a significant impact.
     • 22% have had to delay higher education plans, with nearly 4 in 10 (38%) Gen Zers (1997-2012) and nearly 3 in 10 (29%) Millennials (1981-1996) reporting that caregiving demands have caused them to delay higher education plans.
     • 17% have been unable to go back to school due to their caregiving responsibilities, affecting 18-34 (26%) and 25-44 (22%) year olds the most.
3. Employee benefits addressing the needs of caregivers can play a crucial role in increasing workforce recruitment and retention.
   • Nearly a quarter of unemployed caregivers (24%) and retired caregivers (22%) have been unable to enter or re-enter the workforce due to caregiving responsibilities.
   • 3 in 10 (30%) private sector and 1 in 3 (33%) government employees identify as caregivers; however, many report a lack of access to key caregiving benefits. Of employed voters:
     • 53% have access to paid parental leave.
     • 36% have access to paid family leave.
     • 26% have access to financial assistance benefits for child care.
   • 65% of voters said that if they were offered a job today, caregiving benefits would be an important factor in determining whether to accept the role.
     • This sentiment is shared by men and women (63% of men; 67% of women) and by members of both major parties (68% of Democrats; 64% of Republicans).
4. Voters recognize the challenges caregivers face and support the government providing solutions.
   • 82% of voters, including both caregivers and non-caregivers, agree that it is important for candidates and policymakers to support increased investments in making it easier for Americans to care for their loved ones, with 34% considering it a top priority.
     • This sentiment is shared across party lines (89% of Democrats; 79% of Republicans).
   • 79% of voters believe that it is important for policy makers to work on bipartisan solutions to make caregiving easier and more affordable for families.
     • This sentiment is also shared across party lines (87% of Democrats; 73% of Republicans).

Voters Support Caregiver Policies

• Paid family leave: 82% of voters support a federal paid family and medical leave program to provide paid time off for workers to care for a loved one or tend to their own serious health challenges.
• Caregiver tax credits: 82% of voters support tax credits to support people providing regular care to their family member(s).
• Expanded services and subsidies for long-term care: 81% of voters support government investments to expand access to home and community-based services for older adults, people with disabilities, and other individuals with long-term care needs.
• Employer incentives: 80% of voters support expanded federal tax credits and other incentives to help employers offset the costs associated with providing caregiving benefits to their employees.
• Paid parental leave: 78% of voters support a federal paid parental leave program to provide paid time off to care for a newborn, newly adopted, or new foster child.
• Increased child care subsidies: 75% of voters support increased government investments to make child care more affordable.
• Financial support for new parents: 64% of voters support a one-time cash payment provided by the federal government to aid parents welcoming a new child.

This poll was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of Pivotal Ventures and BPC Action between May 31-June 2, 2024 among a sample of 4,003 registered voters. The interviews were conducted online and the data was weighted to approximate a target sample of registered voters based on gender by age, educational attainment, race, marital status, home ownership, race by educational attainment, 2020 presidential vote, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, unless otherwise specified.

For more information, explore the poll results and cross-tabulation data.