The Care Subsidy to the Labor Market: Rethinking the Care Diamond.

This article examines the dual role of the market in care provision, distinguishing between the market as a private care service provider and the labor market as a caregiving space that benefits from unpaid domestic care work, predominantly performed by women. Using Mexico as a case study, it proposes a methodology to estimate the "care subsidy"—the value of unpaid care work appropriated by capital through labor income deficits relative to total work hours—highlighting that a significant portion of care work remains uncompensated, especially among poorer households and informal employment. The findings suggest that the labor market should assume greater co-responsibility for care provision, supported by public policies involving both monetary measures (e.g., taxes or employer contributions) and time policies (e.g., paid leave and reduced work hours). This approach aims to address gender and economic inequalities by recognizing and redistributing the unpaid care work that sustains labor productivity and capital accumulation.