Available From UC Press

Making Care Work

Why Our Economy Should Put People First

Nancy Folbre

A bold critique of conventional economics that reveals why the time and money we devote to care work is vital to our economic future.

Our economy is much bigger than the dollar value of things we buy and sell. It depends on us—our health, our creativity, and our moral commitments. These capabilities don't have price tags but are crucial to a sustainable future. We need to acknowledge and reward the value of caring for ourselves and others, especially our children, our elderly, and those experiencing illness or disability.

From leading feminist economist Nancy Folbre, Making Care Work provides a compelling historical and economic account of care provision in the United States. Folbre traces the long and colorful history of resistance to bogus claims that only paid work "counts" and that employees in care services are always paid what they deserve. Explaining why care providers remain economically vulnerable today, she argues that more attention to the public benefits of care provision could help build the political coalitions needed to implement policies that put people first.

In this comprehensive and bold book, Folbre upends conventional economic thinking and maps a hopeful path toward a more equitable and sustainable economy.

Nancy Folbre is Director of the Program on Gender and Care Work at the Political Economy Research Institute and Professor Emerita of Economics at UMass Amherst. She is the author of many books, including The Invisible Heart: Economics and Family Values.

"For too long we have ignored the fundamental truth that care is the foundation for our economy. In this sharp and hopeful book, Nancy Folbre reveals why finally acknowledging care work as essential is vital to building the future we all deserve."—Ai-jen Poo, President, National Domestic Workers Alliance

"As patriarchal movements are having a resurgence, it's essential to understand their economic dimensions. Backed by more than thirty years of pioneering research on gender and care, Folbre analyzes how things have gone wrong and how we can move forward, all with her trademark originality, rigor, and humor. An essential contribution by the country's most important feminist economist."—Juliet Schor, author of Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter

"Folbre's deft and timely discussion shines a light on the ways that politics, culture, values, and power have undermined how we account for care. In telling the story of how we got to the infuriating place we are today, she points us to a better way: a well-being economy where care counts as the 'precious and productive achievement' it truly is."—Julie Kashen, Director for Women's Economic Justice and Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation

"In this insightful and profound book, Folbre opens our minds to new ways of considering what should be valued in society and how social negotiations and conflicts shape the distribution of the costs of care work."—Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst

384 pp.6 x 9Illus: 5 b/w figures, 2 tables

9780520405622$27.95|£24.00Hardcover

Mar 2026