Recognizing $78 Billion Caregivers for Unpaid Work

While millions of Australians caring for friends and family are stressed with unpaid work, many face problems that require more than recognition to solve.

National Careers Week aims to highlight the contributions people make through their care. Consultants estimate that it will cost about $78 billion annually if paid for it.

According to Carers NSW, those providing care are overwhelmingly female, with an average age of almost 60, and are most commonly caring for children or partners.

The first results of Peakbody’s 2022 National Caregiver Survey, released Monday, show a picture of an unpaid, overworked and neglected group that provides care to children, people with disabilities, chronic and mental illnesses. I am drawing.

Unpaid caregivers spend an average of 104 hours a week caring for them, with nearly half providing care ’24/7′ and an average of nearly 13 years of caregiving.

The survey results were obtained from over 6800 valid responses nationwide.

Elena Catrakis, Chief Executive Officer of Carers NSW, said the survey provides key insights into the unpaid work of carers and their ongoing support and perseverance.

“However, half of respondents feel their caregiving role is not recognized by the government. are socially isolated,” Katrakis said.

“These are very concerning results and need to be addressed urgently.”

Social Services Minister Amanda Richworth says the gender division of labor requires equality.

“One of the key takeaways from the Jobs and Skills Summit is that all caregiving responsibilities should not be left to the primary caregiver, usually the mother,” Richworth told Nine’s Today on Sunday. It means no,” he said.

“When it comes to paid parental leave, we are looking at ways to encourage shared care.”

The government plans to increase paid parental leave by two weeks each year from 2024 to 26 weeks by 2026.

Rishworth said there are over 2.6 million unpaid caregivers across Australia doing an amazing job.

“What we want to make sure is that they are getting the support they need,” she said.