More than half of all caregivers report that their duties significantly increase their level of stress/anxiety and worry. Emotional stress and trauma have been on the rise since 2020, with 40% citing the constant juggling of work and caregiving as their biggest challenge. Many report they rarely or never feel relaxed.
Nearly 80% of caregivers face regular out-of-pocket costs, averaging over $7,200 per year and consuming around 26% of their income. This leads to financial trauma defined by taking on debt, stopping retirement savings, or being forced to cut back on their own healthcare—a crisis that high-strain working caregivers spend nearly twice as much to manage.
Emotional exhaustion and stress/anxiety lead to burnout and poor health (1 in 5 are in fair or poor health), resulting in an inability to concentrate or difficulty performing familiar tasks. This translates directly into lost productivity, forcing the caregiver to make work disruptions such as going in late, leaving early, or taking time off.
The strain forces employees to put their careers on hold, representing significant talent loss for the employer. Career impacts include taking a leave of absence (32%), shifting from full-time to part-time (27%), or turning down a promotion (16%). This environment perpetuates Behavioral reactive investing—where employees must later chase returns to compensate for lost savings and assets during intense caregiving years.