To solve the workforce crisis, America has to invest in child care
Researchers have noted that when child care workers lose their jobs, they may create broader shifts in the labor market, affecting other working families who need qualified professionals to educate and care for their children. We need to solve this problem now by treating child care as a priority of our economic recovery strategy. Too many policymakers have not made the investment in the child care industry necessary for a strong economic recovery.
How the gig economy puts children’s development at risk and what we can do about it
As we emerge from the current economic crisis, we must fundamentally rethink the American social safety net, which was built in the mid 20th century, when steady employment and employer-provided benefits were the norm. Now, for scores of Americans, alternative work arrangements like freelancing, permanent part-time positions and online gig work are the new normal. The recent passage of California’s Proposition 22 — which was backed by gig economy giants like Uber and Lyft and will allow those companies to continue treating workers as independent contractors rather than employees — demonstrates that we cannot count on employers alone to look out for our nation’s workers.
