Carers trade down job skills for care flexibility
Posted
by DPS
A new report, The Hidden Costs of Care, prepared for a Taskforce on care costs, has found that almost half of Australia’s working carers are forced to take jobs beneath their skill or educational levels to get enough flexibility to look after the person they care for.
It also says that the balance of the total 2.5 million carers leave the workforce altogether.
One in four working carers are forced to cut their hours because of the cost of having someone else care for their aged or disabled relative or friend.
Sixty seven percent said they would turn down a job promotion if it interfered with their caring responsibilities.
The report used a Newspoll survey of 1,234 people and was conducted in October, 2007.
