May 07, 2021

Warren: Jobs Report Shows Need for Universal Childcare

Washington, DC - Today, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the following statement following today's jobs report:

"Today's jobs report is a stark reminder of what American families know all too well: child care is infrastructure. If we want moms and dads to go back to work as this pandemic subsides, we need to provide them with the child care they need.

"The numbers tell the story: There were 8,000 fewer women working in April compared to the previous month, and 64,000 women fell out of the labor force entirely. Compared to February 2020, there are nearly 2 million fewer women in the labor force. That's catastrophic for the labor force and it's a crisis for women's long-term economic security -- endangering their pay, their promotions, and their chance at productive and fulfilling careers.

"I'm calling for a $700 billion investment in our child care infrastructure because that's the number we need to make affordable, high-quality child care a reality for working families. Expanding child care would increase the number of women with young children working full-time by about 17% and would increase their lifetime earnings by an estimated $94,000. Investing in child care is good for children's growth and development, it would create millions of good jobs, and it would make our economy stronger and more productive."

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