Caregiving & the Care Economy

Why It Matters

The care economy includes all the paid and unpaid work that goes into caring for children, older adults, people with disabilities, and households. It covers formal sectors such as childcare centers, nursing homes, and home health services. But it also includes the countless hours of unpaid care, often provided by women in families and communities, that keep households running and societies strong. Despite its importance, much of this labor is left out of traditional measures like the GDP. Yet its value is immense, representing trillions of dollars globally. Without data to capture and communicate that value, care remains invisible in economic planning.

The omission of care work is not only a statistical issue but also a policy one. Because it is invisible in planning and budgeting decisions, governments underinvest in infrastructure and services, leaving families to absorb the costs. Population aging, rising life expectancy, and growing needs for dementia and eldercare are converging with continued childcare demands. Few societies — including the U.S. — have built the infrastructure to meet this double challenge. Without investment and planning, this is not just an “equity” issue but a looming care crisis that threatens social protection systems and economic stability. That’s where PRB comes in. We make the care economy visible, helping policymakers recognize care work as an engine of economic growth, advancement, and equity.

How We Drive Change

PRB shines a light on the economic and societal function of care work. Through research, partnerships, and larger initiatives like Counting Women’s Work, we help ensure caregiving is visible, valued, and integrated into economic decisionmaking. Our work includes:

Elevating care on the agenda by convening leaders, journalists, and advocates to keep caregiving central to policy debates.

• Communicating the economic value and societal function of care work to drive evidence-based policy dialogue and to give policymakers and advocates the information they need to support policies that advance equity and opportunity.
• Building global and regional partnerships to embed caregiving into demographic and economic planning at national and international levels.
• Educating the public to build broad awareness of the value and function of care, creating demand for policy change.
• Empowering women leaders and challenging harmful gender narratives by ensuring women’s perspectives shape policy debates and solutions.
• Turning complex data into clear insights so leaders can make informed choices about budgets, investments, and protections that shape daily life.