Providing income certainty for carers? Care, labour market participation and support for a universal basic income in Europe

Abstract

The provision of care, in particular, long-term care, is a major policy concern across Europe, one exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Post-crisis, a universal basic income may be a progressive way to address how care is rewarded in society. In this article, we examine the relationship between caring responsibilities, labour market participation and support for a universal basic income across a number of European countries. Our findings indicate that support for such a scheme is extremely divided, even among care-providing groups who may potentially gain from its introduction.