Karen Schulman, Senior Policy Analyst

by Karen Schulman, Senior Policy Analyst
National Women’s Law Center

Friday’s announcement that another half a million jobs were lost in November—bringing the total number of jobs cut in 2008 to nearly 2 million—built further momentum for a major economic recovery package when Congress reconvenes in January. President-elect Obama has proposed an economic recovery package that would create or save 2.5 million jobs. Policymakers agree that this package must be large enough to have a significant effect on the U.S. economy, but they also want to ensure that taxpayers money is used wisely, in a way that will create jobs immediately as well as offer an investment in the future. One often overlooked area clearly meets all of these goals: child care.

Jobs in the child care sector for directors, teachers and assistants can be created immediately, and are certain to stay right here in the U.S. Child care also helps parents get and keep a job and gives them the peace of mind they need to be productive at work. The licensed child care sector allows parents to earn more than $100 billion annually—and these additional wages, in turn, generate nearly $580 billion in direct and indirect labor income, approximately $69 billion in tax revenues, and more than 15 million jobs.

by Karen Schulman, Senior Policy Analyst
and Helen Blank, Director of Leadership and Public Policy
National Women’s Law Center