A quarter of U.S. adults have taken on the role of supporting their parents even as they continue to care of their children, a recent study shows—as Americans live longer, the cost of living skyrockets and universal childcare support dwindles.
About 68 million Americans are giving help to parents aged 65 or older while also raising children. The burden of this responsibility with this so-called "sandwich generation" falls mostly on women but a sizable number of American men are also shouldering this responsibility.
California leads the country when it comes to this phenomenon, with almost 40 percent of this group of adults to be found in the Golden State. Part of the explanation is that the state tends to have a high share of large families and is expensive.
"It's the state with the second-largest family size and the fourth-highest cost of living," the survey from logistics firm HireAHelper suggested.
With a rise in housing costs, soaring price of goods, lack of universal access to childcare in addition to the soaring price of college education, American families are having to find ways to cut on such high costs of living. The growing trend of the sandwich generation is one response to these economic changes.
The HireAHelper survey builds on a 2022 Pew Research study that found about a third of this group of Americans are college-educated and tend to be in their 30s and 40s. They are also likely to be living in multigenerational households, though not always with their elderly parents.
"Adults who are sandwiched between an aging parent and a minor child or an adult child they've helped financially are more likely than those who are not in this situation to say they are very satisfied with their family life," Pew discovered.
This trend was particularly striking among those in their 40s. While such arrangements can be stressful, those who take on such responsibilities feel good about it.
"About half of sandwiched adults in this age group (49 percent) say they are very satisfied with their family life, compared with 38 percent of other adults in the same age group," Pew said.
An earlier 2022 study from Pew found that multigenerational living has grown over the past few decades. "From 1971 to 2021, the number of people living in multigenerational households quadrupled, while the number in other types of living situations is less than double what it was," Pew revealed.
Social, emotional and health support are some of the ways that adults are caring for their aging parents. Financially, they are spending about $725 a month of their paycheck towards such assistance, which is about 16 percent of their income. About half of those surveyed also said that they worry about juggling the two responsibilities.
The support is also reciprocal with elderly parents giving help with childcare, for instance. However, those surveyed expressed worries about the future, such as concerns about if they can afford to pay for external assisted living should it come necessary.
"It may be awkward and difficult to talk to your parents about care arrangements they don't need yet," Miranda Marquit, a Consumer Advocate at HireAHelper said in the report. "A plan for their care helps bring everyone on the same page. It helps you, your parents, and other family members prepare for it mentally, emotionally, and financially."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Omar Mohammed is a Newsweek reporter based in the Greater Boston area. His focus is reporting on the Economy and ... Read more
