This thesis follows a non-traditional three-paper approach, consisting of six chapters: an introduction, a methodology chapter, three academic style papers and a conclusion. The introduction provides an overview of the topic and existing literature in the field, before outlining the research process. Chapters three to five present the main body of the research, analysis and discussion. Finally, chapter six concludes by presenting the key contributions and suggestions for future research.
The aim of this thesis is to explore the relationship between unpaid care and employment between the years 2009 and 2023, conducting cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis on data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Multi-level models (including with random slopes) are used to account for the hierarchical structure of the data, allowing for intersectional and longitudinal analysis.
The key findings include the negative relationship between care and employment and the presence (or absence) of variability in this relationship over time and between identity groups. This is a finding that persists over time and is most pronounced during and prior to mid-life (during prime working years). More research needs to be done to explore these differences.
Policy should continue to focus on supporting carers, through improved access to respite services, flexible working and financial support such as Carer's Allowance. Services should be co-produced with carers to identify what support will be most effective.
This study has contributed empirically, producing comparable findings to previous research, as well as novel findings on intersectional variations in the care-employment relationship using new data. It has also contributed methodologically, by presenting advanced research techniques that could be applied and developed further in the field of adult social care. Continued research is important. To ensure research can continue to a high standard, better data is needed to allow advanced statistical analysis to be conducted, particularly looking into intersectional inequalities in care.
