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How Is the Challenge of Finding Childcare Affecting Labor Force Participation? Perspectives from Employers Across the Seventh District

Abstract: Through the Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions (CFSEC) and during roundtable discussions with business, nonprofit, and government leaders, the Chicago Fed asked employers from a variety of sectors for their perspectives on how childcare access has affected labor force availability.1 These survey and roundtable findings contribute to the Chicago Fed’s Spotlight on Childcare—an effort to increase our understanding of how the lack of access to childcare impedes labor force participation in the Seventh Federal Reserve District. In this article, we summarize the responses from over 100 survey and roundtable participants to provide insights on how childcare access has impacted labor force participation in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic from employers’ perspectives.

Keywords: Childcare; Community development; Regional economy;

JEL Classification: O1; J1; O15; O18; J13;

Bibliographic Information

Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Publication Date: 2024-02