Child care has been a struggle for many parents after the pandemic, so much so that many have missed work, turned to part-time work, or stayed out of the labor force altogether.
That is according to findings in new research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, which found that the number of parents who said they experienced work disruptions due to child-care-related issues has risen to 19%, which accounts for roughly 1.1 million parents.
For perspective, this year's child-care-related work disruptions are 17% higher than at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research data showed.
Who Experienced the Most Disruptions?
The study found that mothers living with a child under the age of five were twice as likely to face work disruptions due to child care issues than those with older children or fathers living with kids of any age.
The researchers for the survey focused on responses from parents living with children under the age of 18 and cited child care issues as the main reason they were not working, are only in part-time jobs, or missing work days.
A separate report from the Independent Restaurant Coalition found that childcare remains inaccessible and causes work disruptions for a majority of parents working in the restaurant industry. To be more specific, that study found that 74% of mothers and 66% of fathers were forced to leave work early, arrive to work late, or skip work entirely due to last-minute child care problems.
Which Child Care Problems Are Contributing to the Issues in the Workforce?
The report from the Federal Reserve did not specifically focus on which child care-related problems are affecting parents. Generally, however, there are two big barriers for parents these days: the cost and labor shortages.
Firstly, the cost of child care spiked after the COVID-19 pandemic. A new report from the US Labor Department found that a full day of child care costs between $6,552 to $15,600 annually. To put this into perspective, annual rent costs $15,216.
It is important to note that the Labor Department's report focused on figures from 2022. As of Dec. 8, the annual rent in the US is around $16,932, per Rental Real Estate.
In addition to the high costs of child care, the industry is also plagued with labor shortages due to turnovers. This is partially due to childcare being one of the lowest-paying professions in the US.
