America’s “sandwich generation” is on the rise, and they’re feeling pressed like a panini, according to a new survey.

These are the adults — age 30 to 60 — who are so named because they have both kids and elderly parents and are often taking care of both, while also trying to advance during prime working years of their career.

More than half (54%) of Americans in their 40s are in the “sandwich generation,” while 45% of people in their 50s being in the same situation, an August Pew Research Center report found.

Members of the sandwich generation are taking care of both their parents and their kids — and many are struggling. zinkevych – stock.adobe.com

Overall, 25% of US adults are in the middle of the sandwich — up two points from the last time Pew did the survey in 2021.

The result of the squeeze is that many feel they’re putting in extra shifts to meet their their family needs — with some logging an 24 hours of child and parent care per week to keep up, Care.com found in its own survey from July.

And the effects are being felt by many at the office, with an alarming number reporting emotional burn-outs or watching the grind affect their careers.

About 80% in the sandwich generation reported feeling overloaded by the decisions they regularly face, and another 80% said they needed a break but having no idea how to pull it off, Care.com found.

Around 66%, meanwhile, said they’d hidden the extent of their caregiving responsibilities from employers, while 55% said they’d declined a promotion to keep up with caregiving instead.

Another 66% also said they’ve reigned in their career aspirations because of care-giving needs.

People with elderly parents and adult children over 18 requiring financial support are also considered to be part of the sandwich generation, though the majority had children below 18, according to Pew.

About 82% said the costs of providing care strains their families financially, while 77% said they often felt severe stress, Care.com found.

That’s all led to about 50% of sandwich generationers saying the pressure to “do it all” as caregivers, workers, providers and friends has had a serious impact on their wellbeing.

And 98% said their caregiving resulted in them missing major life events in the last year.