The lack of accessible child care in Mississippi is keeping 7% of the state’s labor force out of work and costing the state billions of dollars.
If those 7% of people constrained from full-time employment because of child care needs rejoined the labor force, it would add about $8 billion to Mississippi’s gross domestic product per year, according to a new report from the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance, which advocates to improve early childhood education in the state.
“Mississippi’s elected leaders have done great work bringing in new corporations offering high-paying jobs,” said Biz Harris, executive director of MELA. “Now we need to ensure that Mississippi parents have access to stable and reliable child care for infants and toddlers, and all children during traditional and nontraditional work hours so that Mississippi can fill those jobs.”
MELA’s recently released report explores how the lack of child care access is weakening Mississippi’s labor force. The report also highlights the financial problems within Mississippi’s child care industry.