Emerging Adulthood: Impacts of Adult Care on Education, Work, and Well-Being

An increasing number of young adults are providing unpaid care to an older or dependent family member or friend. However, we know little about the relationship between adult caregiving and emerging young adults. Using 2017 and 2019 data on Transition into Adulthood Supplement and the main Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this study examines relationships between adult care and nationally representative of emerging adult caregivers’, aged 17-28, work, education, and well-being and compares them to non-caregivers. Findings show that close to 10% of emerging adults are caregivers. Regression analyses observing these relationships contemporaneously and roughly three years later provide suggestive evidence of fewer work hours, lower educational attainment, and a significant decline in emotional well-being associated with adult care hours. These findings demonstrate the growing need for paid family leave and mental health counseling to alleviate stress and improve overall economic, education, and social emotional development for emerging young adults.