Report by: The North Carolina Department of Commerce and NC Child
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.
Executive Summary
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. This report assesses the number of prime-age adults (aged 25-54) 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.
Key Findings Include:
- 100,000 fewer working-age parents with young children participated in North Carolina’s labor force in 2023 than in 2019
- An estimated 14,000 – 31,000 working-age North Carolinians with young children could have potentially returned to the workforce in 2023
- Helping parents of young children get back into North Carolina’s workforce could add up to $7.5 billion to the state’s GDP, generate up to an additional $13.3 billion in annual economic input, and create up to 68,000 new jobs statewide.