AARP: Florida's Unpaid Caregivers Deliver $81B in Annual Labor

Florida's 4.3 million unpaid family caregivers — including those quietly managing medications, doctor visits, and daily routines for aging parents and spouses across Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties — collectively provide an estimated $81 billion in labor each year, according to a new AARP analysis released this month.

The report calculates that Florida caregivers contribute roughly 4.1 billion hours of care annually. At Florida's estimated market wage of $19.66 per hour for comparable professional care, that output would cost $81 billion if paid for the 2024–25 period, according to AARP.

"Family caregivers are a major economic force that fills critical gaps in our health care system," said Jeff Johnson, AARP Florida State Director. "The economic value they provide now exceeds $81 billion annually, yet this care often comes at significant cost to caregivers' health, financial security, and well-being."

The analysis found that the average Florida family caregiver spends about 27 hours per week providing care — effectively a part-time job on top of existing work and family responsibilities. More than half, 57 percent, assist with tasks ranging from bathing and dressing to complex medical duties such as administering injections, according to AARP.

AARP officials warn that without this unpaid labor force, many Floridians — including seniors throughout the Treasure Coast's large retiree population — would require placement in institutional care facilities, driving up costs for families and straining public programs such as Medicaid. Florida's median age is among the highest in the nation, making the region especially dependent on informal caregiving networks.

Nationally, an estimated 59 million Americans provide about 49.5 billion hours of unpaid care each year, equivalent to roughly 24 million full-time workers, or approximately 17 percent of the U.S. full-time workforce, according to the AARP report. The national economic value is estimated at $1.01 trillion annually.

What This Means for Treasure Coast Residents: Family caregivers in Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties seeking support services, respite care, or financial assistance can contact their county health departments. Martin County residents may reach the Florida Department of Health in Martin County at (772) 221-4000; St. Lucie County residents can call (772) 462-3800; Indian River County residents can reach their local health department at (772) 794-7400. AARP Florida can also be reached at 1-866-595-7678 for caregiver resources. According to available information,

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