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In addition to child care responsibilities, women are still doing the bulk of other kinds of care. In 2012, 8 million Canadians reported that they provided unpaid care to a chronically ill, disabled or aging family member or friend. Those providing the most care were women. In the context of an aging society, the demand for care is expected to increase with the demand for the care of seniors alone projected to nearly double by 2031. This coupled with a tightening labour market, where those providing informal care will be hesitant to take time from work for fear of losing their job, suggests that the number of employed caregivers, including high intensity (15+ hours per week) caregivers, will continue to grow - the majority of whom will be women.
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