•Press Release Economic Crisis and Recovery Employee Benefits Paid Leave Workers
Washington, DC — In a new report, the Center for Economic and Policy Research’s (CEPR’s) Julie Cai and Victoria Coan analyzed the monthly Current Population Survey to unpack how many people were working part-time due to care responsibilities over the last two years.
In “Care-Related Part-Time Employment: The Case for Federally Guaranteed Paid Family and Medical Leave,” the authors uncovered several key findings, including:
Between 2021 and 2022, approximately 8 million people on average were at work part time for care-related obligations.
Net of other characteristics, women are more likely than men to work part-time because of care obligations (36 percent compared to 22 percent).
Part-time workers in female-dominated low-wage occupations (such as healthcare support and food service jobs) have higher rates of care-related part-time employment (35 percent) than part-time workers in other occupations (29 percent).
Hispanic and Black women in healthcare support jobs have a significantly higher likelihood of working part-time because of care obligations, compared to white women working in the same occupation.
According to employer-provided data, only 25 percent have access to employer-provided family leave benefits. Part-time workers and workers in low-wage jobs are much less likely than full-time workers to have employer-provided paid family and medical leave.
“Family policies like paid leave ensure that all people have the time and resources needed to care for themselves and their loved ones. Guaranteeing the right to paid leave is a critical step in ending economic penalties for caregiving and creating a more equitable labor market for all,” said the authors of the report.
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