Sandwich Caregiving and Paid Work: Differences by Caregiving Intensity and Women’s Life Stage

Research shows pervasive connections between unpaid caregiving and labor market participation among women living in the United States. However, this research remains fragmented, often focusing on one type of care (i.e., care to children or adults) or a particular life stage (i.e., care provided in early- or later-adulthood). Given patterns of population longevity and later childbearing ages, demographic patterns of care are shifting. More women are exposed to overlapping child and adult caregiving responsibilities (“sandwich caregiving”) over the life course. This study uses data from the 2001, 2004, and 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to examine connections between sandwich caregiving and labor market participation among a cohort of women aged 25–49 and a cohort of women aged 50–65. I also examine whether measures of child and adult care “intensity” relate to labor market participation among sandwich caregivers. Results show that sandwich caregivers, particularly women with young children and women providing high-intensity adult care, were among the least likely to be employed, and if employed, worked the fewest hours for pay. For women in the older cohort, labor market patterns may reflect early retirement for high-intensity caregivers. Given the startling lack of child and adult care support in the United States, findings have implications for family care, work, and retirement policies, and future research should explore the role of sandwich caregiving on gender, class, and racial inequality.