Millions of Americans provide informal, unpaid care for people aged 65 or older with aging-related problems—helping them with household chores, taking them to the doctor or grocery store, managing their finances, and so on. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey collects data about this informal caregiving and the BLS regularly publishes reports on the extent of eldercare and the characteristics of caregivers. Here are a few of the highlights from the 2015-16 report...
More than 1 in 10 Americans provide eldercare: The 41 million who provided eldercare in the past three or four months are a substantial 16 percent of the population aged 15 or older.
Eldercare providers are in every age group: More than 1 in 10 young adults (aged 15 to 24) provide eldercare. The figure climbs as high as 24 percent among 55-to-64-year-olds.
Men account for 44 percent of eldercare providers: Although women are the majority of providers, men account for a substantial share in every age group.
Many eldercare providers are caring for more than one person: 71 percent of eldercare providers are caring for one person, while 29 percent are caring for two or more.
Caring for a friend or neighbor is common: 16 percent of eldercare providers are caring for a friend or neighbor. Among caregivers aged 65 or older, the figure is 27 percent.
On an average day, about one in four caregivers provides eldercare: Those who provide care spend an average of 2.8 hours doing so.
Most eldercare providers have been helping for years: More than half of caregivers have been providing eldercare for three or more years.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unpaid Eldercare in the United States—2015-16 Summary
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