Unpaid Carers Are Leaving the UK Workforce in Record Numbers

A growing wave of UK workers is quitting their jobs to become unpaid carers for relatives or friends. Charities estimate that roughly 1,500 people a day are resigning, a rise from about 600 per day in 2019. The trend reflects heightened care demands amid declining access to state-funded social-care services.

The Independent

The UK’s ageing population and an increase in adults living with disabilities have expanded the pool of people needing intensive, unpaid support. Carers UK notes that the proportion of employees who also act as unpaid carers has risen from 15 % in 2019 to 20 % today. In April 2024, a legal entitlement to up to one week of unpaid leave per 12 months was introduced for carers in England, Wales and Scotland, but many still find balancing work and care unsustainable.

The GuardianThe IndependentBirmingham Mail

• Daily resignations: ?1,500 workers quit each day, up from ?600 in 2019.

The Independent

• Unpaid carers overall: 11 million adults (?20 % of the UK adult population).

The Guardian

• Employees who are unpaid carers: 6.7 million people (?1 in 5 workers).

The Independent

• People who left work in the past two years to care: 1 million, representing an estimated 3.33 million who have exited the labour market for caregiving.

The Independent

• Economic cost: The Department for Business and Trade estimates the loss to the economy at £37 billion per year.

The Independent

• Work-hour reductions: 22 % of surveyed carers cut their hours; 34 % work fewer than eight hours a week; 10 % declined promotions or accepted lower-paid roles.

The Guardian

• Department for Business and Trade highlighted that unpaid carers who feel forced to reduce hours or quit cost the economy £37 billion annually and that new protections could enable “thousands with caring responsibilities” to return to work with greater flexibility.

The Independent

The exodus of workers threatens both individual financial security and broader economic productivity. Employers lose skilled staff, and the NHS faces shortages as professionals like midwife Jacqui Hylton leave to provide full-time care. The £37 billion annual cost underscores the fiscal pressure on public finances, while the personal stories illustrate widening inequality for those juggling employment and intensive caregiving.

The Guardian

• “These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care.” — Emily Holzhausen, director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK

The Guardian

• A government-led consultation launched in June seeks public input on a paid carer’s leave scheme, a “right to return” similar to maternity leave, and updated workplace guidance.

The Independent

• Louise Casey’s independent review of adult social care is expected to report in the coming months, with recommendations likely to influence future employment-rights reforms for unpaid carers.

The Guardian