Summary: Childcare loses jobs for fourth straight month
By Matthew Nestler, PhD, Senior Economist at KPMG
June 11, 2026
The article argues that the childcare sector continues to weaken, with employment falling by 1,000 jobs in May, marking the fourth consecutive monthly decline. Providers appear to be struggling to attract and retain workers, likely because wages remain low and centers have limited ability to raise pay enough to compete.
This is happening against a backdrop of already limited access to care: more than one-quarter of U.S. children lack reasonably nearby childcare, with even greater gaps in rural areas. At the same time, daycare and preschool prices are rising faster than many other service costs, adding pressure to families and contributing to persistent service-sector inflation.
Overall, the piece frames childcare as both a capacity and workforce challenge with broader economic consequences. Families are left without reliable care, employers face a smaller available workforce, and state-level trends vary significantly—such as growth in New York but declines in Texas. The bottom line is that the childcare system is not simply shrinking through closures; it is increasingly constrained by staffing shortages that limit the sector’s ability to meet family and labor market needs.
Read the full article:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/childcare-loses-jobs-fourth-straight-month-matthew-nestler-phd-u8lqc/
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