Empowering Work: How Increasing Employment Among Parents of Young Children Can Grow North Carolina’s Economy

Thousands of parents of young children in North Carolina are on the sidelines of our workforce, limiting economic opportunity for their families and holding our economy back.

A new report from N.C. Commerce and NC Child assesses the number of prime-age adults who could potentially participate in our labor market, the impact these new entrants would have on our state economy, and how child care solutions could enable this growth. Even after accounting for parents who prefer to stay out of the workforce to care for their children, this report indicates substantial possible economic impacts of adding working-age adults with young children to the labor force and illustrates how child care policy can support sustained economic growth in North Carolina.