Research and analysis

Informal Carers and employment: summary report of a systematic review

This paper summarises the key findings of a systematic review on the topic of how informal caring roles interact with employment.

Documents

Informal carers and employment: summary report of a systematic review

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Details

A systematic review was carried out within 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:

  • 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
  • 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.

Published 12 September 2019