20.500.12556/RUP-22699 The Hidden Workforce Employment and Health Impacts of Informal Caregiving in Slovenia This paper investigates the employment status, demographic characteristics, and health outcomes of informal caregivers in Slovenia. Using data from the Workability Questionnaire, conducted in February 2025 with a representative sample of 1,000 individuals aged 25–75 years, we analyze how caregiving correlates with employment patterns and caregivers’ own health issues. Through statistical testing, we compare informal caregivers with non-caregivers to identify potential disparities in labor market participation and health status. This study contributes to the economic and policy discourse by offering new insights into the demographic and employment characteristics of informal caregivers in Slovenia. Additionally, it provides empirical evidence necessary for estimating the societal costs of informal care, which is crucial for integrating informal care into economic evaluations of health and social care programs. However, the study has some limitations. First, the cross-sectional nature of the data prevents causal inference regarding the relationship between caregiving and employment or health outcomes. Second, we are aware that the self-reported nature of the Workability Questionnaire may introduce response biases, particularly regarding health status and caregiving intensity. informal care employment heath status Slovenia true false false Založba Univerze na Primorskem Angleški jezik Angleški jezik Neznano 2026-03-04 08:40:00 2026-03-04 08:40:00 2026-03-05 03:09:20 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 Str. 49-64 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 005 270027523 /10.26493/978-961-293-471-2.49-64 270154243 ZUP_Ponikvar_Nina_2025.pdf ZUP_Ponikvar_Nina_2025.pdf 1 7ED67D08970615326E30C3D68A8B215B 398e4eab29623483b818dd094b25441ed5b93756d015607327f12b464c665d39 cd6f707c-179d-11f1-9e8d-005056ac49c0 https://repozitorij.upr.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=33055 https://www.hippocampus.si/ISBN/978-961-293-471-2/64.pdf 0 c643b08c-179d-11f1-9e8d-005056ac49c0 https://repozitorij.upr.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=33054 Založba Univerze na Primorskem 0 0 0