New polling by Opinium for Carers UK reveals that 3.33 million people have given up work to care for a family member or friend who is older, disabled or seriously ill, with 1.1 million leaving their job in the last two years alone – more than 1,500 people a day.

This is an increase of 150% since 2019, when the charity’s last public poll on the issue found that nearly half a million (468,000) unpaid carers had left their job in the last two years - more than 600 people a day.

Many carers want to remain in work, not only for income, but because being able to work supports their wellbeing, offering a break from caring, boosting confidence and social contact. Without the right support, more people are reaching a point where they feel they have no choice but to reduce their hours or leave work altogether.

One in five workers (20%) are now juggling paid work with unpaid care. This has also increased significantly since 2019, when 15% of people were combining work and caring responsibilities. Around one in five people (21%) and almost two thirds (59%) of working carers said that caring responsibilities have had a negative impact on their employment at some point, including reduced hours, lower-paid roles, missed career opportunities or employer changes in order to continue providing care.

When asked what support would be most important to combine paid work with unpaid caring responsibilities, 79% of UK adults said flexible working, 79% said a supportive line manager or employer. Around three-quarters agreed that the introduction of additional paid carers would make a difference, with 73% supporting five days of paid Carer’s Leave.

Carers UK’s recent ‘Tipping Point’ research also found that 45% of carers would be more likely to remain in employment if they had paid Carer’s Leave. For 35% of carers, more affordable, accessible or reliable social care would have helped them stay in employment.

The charity says these findings underline why Baroness Casey's Independent Commission into Adult Social Care must recognise the role that a well-functioning social care system plays in supporting unpaid carers to remain in work and why reform should be viewed as both a social and an economic imperative.

The research has been supported by Standard Life as part of their Caring for Carers initiative.

It is deeply worrying to see growing numbers of unpaid carers leaving employment. 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.

The sizeable impact of caring responsibilities on peoples’ working lives should concern us all, because when people are forced to leave work to care employers lose valuable skills and there are wider implications. The economic cost of carers leaving paid work is estimated to be £37 billion a year.

The positive news is that employer-led initiatives can make a real difference and the government’s review of employment rights for unpaid carers is an important opportunity to ensure better support is available for all working carers. Introducing paid Carer’s Leave would provide time away from work without a loss of income.

Director of Corporate Affairs & Chief of Staff at Standard Life and Executive Sponsor of the company's Carers Network, Claire Hawkins, said:

"Carers play a vital role in supporting families and communities, but the growing number of people leaving work to care for loved ones highlights the need for greater support.

"Time out of the workforce can have lasting consequences, reducing income, retirement savings and the opportunity to build the long-term financial resilience that underpins security in later life.

"At Standard Life, we've seen that supporting carers doesn't need to be costly or complex. Practical measures such as paid carer's leave, flexible working, supportive managers and employee networks can make a meaningful difference. Creating workplaces where people can balance work and care helps them remain connected to employment, continue building retirement savings and strengthen their long-term financial security, while enabling employers to retain valuable skills and experience.

"As policymakers consider the future of support for unpaid carers through initiatives such as the recent consultation on employment rights for unpaid carers and wider social care reform, there is a real opportunity for employers and government to work together. By helping more people stay in work while managing caring responsibilities, we can support greater financial resilience throughout life and help more people achieve better outcomes in retirement."