Women Do a Majority of Unpaid Care Work, With Each Woman Spending Nearly 300 Hours per Year on Caregiving
WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 26, 2025 – A new analysis from the National Partnership for Women & Families (NPWF) finds that if Americans who provide care to loved ones received a check for that work, it would be in the amount of more than $1.1 trillion.
NPWF’s 2025 analysis of American Time Use Survey data shows women do the majority of unpaid caregiving – about two-thirds of Americans’ unpaid care. The analysis also shows women each spend an average of nearly 300 hours annually on caregiving, valued at $683 billion. Across all racial and ethnic groups, researchers found women spend more time on unpaid caregiving than men. In an average day:
“This new data on unpaid caregiving helps everyone – including advocates, workers and policymakers – gain greater insight into the problem so that we can work together toward good policy solutions,” said Katherine Gallagher Robbins, senior fellow at the National Partnership for Women & Families. “These important findings reveal exactly how much care is undervalued in this country. We will continue to do everything we can to make progress and move forward in our fight to ensure caregivers receive the supports and protections they need – because they deserve it.”
“Caregiving work is truly a labor of love for everyone who does it, but it’s still labor. Without policies like paid leave, it can take a toll on caregivers’ finances, careers and mental health,” said Jessica Mason, senior policy analyst for economic justice at the National Partnership for Women & Families. “Our analysis paints a clear picture of what’s needed. Policymakers must prioritize investing in caregiving policies so people are not forced to choose between their loved ones and their paycheck.”
While today’s analysis shows that the caregiving gap between men and women persists, research also shows that men’s desire to provide care for their loved ones continues.
The annual Bureau of Labor Statistics survey measures how people spend their time, and includes activities such as paid work, volunteering, caring for a child, helping an older family member or neighbor or taking care of a sick friend and more.
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