1 in 5 North Carolina employers say lack of child care poses hiring challenges

One in five North Carolina employers attribute hiring challenges to a lack of access to child care. 

That’s one of many findings in a new report about how the state’s workforce and economy is impacted by the child care crisis. 

The report was developed by the North Carolina Department of Commerce and NC Child, a nonprofit that advocates for policies that will benefit the state’s children. 

The research, which was released this month, found that 100,000 fewer working-age parents with young children participated in the state’s workforce in 2023 compared to 2019. 

That could be due in part to the cost of care. The report found that annual child care expenses for one toddler in North Carolina represents 19% of the median household income. 

If care was more accessible, researchers estimate that there might have been up to 68,000 more people in the workforce, resulting in a $7.5 billion boost to the state’s Gross Domestic Product. 

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.