Caregiving Workers Cost the U.S. Economy Big Bucks

The challenges facing American workers today are many: stagnant wages, greater transportation expense, higher out-of-pocket medical costs -- the list goes on. Add to their number those who need to take care of a sick loved one, an increasingly common task among many workers, and it's clear that something has to give.

That's something is work, according to results from a Gallup survey released Wednesday. The study showed that those who work at the least 15 hours a week and help care for an aging family member, relative or friend say that those duties significantly affect their jobs.