"When we asked them what gets in the way, what's the barrier? The workplace was a big barrier - the expectation that they had to be the breadwinner," Schulte said. "Families also expected them to be the breadwinner. Their partners expected them to be the breadwinner. There was pressure not just from work but also from home."
That pressure is understandable, Schulte said, given that men make more money on average than women. "It's not surprising that families would prioritize the man being the breadwinner to make more money because families need more money" to pay for healthcare, child care and more.
When it comes to caregivers who also work full-time, 57% are men, according to a 2025 survey by Guardian, an insurance company. That may be in part because more women are leaving the workforce to take on caregiving responsibilities, according to Guardian.
But there's also some indication that the challenges young men currently face in finding paid employment may be pushing them towards caregiving in higher numbers than previous generations. Among people providing unpaid eldercare between the ages of 15 and 34, about 55% are men, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics department data by Matthew Nestler, senior economist at KPMG.
