Elder care and paid work: gender differences in the relationship between unpaid elder care work and employment in Bulgaria

Background: Care of elderly family members affects the welfare of the elderly and caregivers and has macroeconomic implications. In Eastern Europe, aging populations combined with under-developed care policy increase family care burdens, but the impact of care on labour force participation is understudied in this context. Methods: Using two waves of the Generations and Gender survey, we estimate the impact of care demand on paid employment in Bulgaria. Results: We find that living with an elderly or disabled parent has a negative impact on employment for women and that this impact cannot be explained by reverse causality or unobserved individual characteristics. Conclusions: More developed care policy would benefit caregivers and would be likely to generate broader fiscal benefits.