declining fertility, the need for care is increasing. As a result of these changes, over the next 30 years, those aged 45-59 years of age will be in the most demand both by employers and by those within their own families needing care. Withdrawal from the labour market to provide care would not only potentially result in financial difficulty for the individual, employers would also lose experienced members of their workforce.
The project combined 50-60 semi-structured interviews with working carers in each of the participating nations. This paper will provide a discussion and cross-national comparison of the tensions and conflicts produced by the combination of care and work, as well as the most successful reconciliation strategies.