News
Child Care Is a Workforce Issue — and a Workforce Solution
When employers talk about workforce challenges, conversations often focus on recruitment, retention, and absenteeism. Increasingly, another factor is impossible to ignore: access to affordable, reliable child care.
Shift Work Forward Invests in Louisville’s Early Childhood Education Centers
Shift Work Forward—formerly the National Fund for Workforce Solutions—is investing $360,000 in business and management coaching for operators of early childhood education centers across Louisville.
Regional labor force participation is the same as the nation’s
The labor force participation rate is an important measure of economic performance. But what is labor force participation? And how does Kentuckiana stack up? Learn about this economic indicator and factors influencing labor market engagement in this new article.
Update: A new tool to help Kentuckians understand benefits cliffs
As the costs of basic needs have skyrocketed during this period of rapid inflation, it is worth revisiting the impact of cliff effects on workers in low-wage jobs. The Kentucky Center for Statistics has revamped its Family Resource Simulator, making it easier to use and ensuring it will stay updated and relevant in a changing economy.
The role of child care in the labor force participation rate among women
Research shows that mothers of young children accounted for nearly a quarter of the unanticipated employment loss related to COVID-19. Access to affordable, reliable child care was a challenge before the pandemic, and has only gotten worse since. The low-wage-work/high-cost-service conundrum of the child care sector has led the Treasury Department to deem the industry a market failure. This implies a need for public sector support, and given the impact to businesses in need of a labor supply, also suggests a role for employers to step in.