FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Conan Knoll
conan@emccommunications.com
(831) 524-6764

Small Business Group: Alarming gender gap in workforce participation highlights need for legislation creating affordable child care

Statement by Small Business for America’s Future Co-Chair Anne Zimmerman in response to a recent U.S. Bureau of Labor report showing a lag in women’s labor force participation and its impact on small business

Washington, D.C., Feb. 8, 2022—The new U.S. Bureau of Labor report showing that just 39,000 additional women participated in the workforce in January compared to 1 million men demonstrates why small business owners are struggling to find the staff they need to fully recover from the pandemic. The enormous disparity clearly demonstrates the economic importance of passing policies, like those in the Build Back Better Act, that would rein in the cost of childcare.

Women, being the primary caregivers of children, were forced out of the workforce during the pandemic, largely due to the lack of affordable childcare. The impact on Main Street is real and small business owners are clear-eyed about what is needed to fix the problem. A recent Small Business for America’s Future survey found that 57% of small business owners are having trouble filling open positions and as a result 69% support policies in the Build Back Better Act that would extend the Child Tax Credit and cap the cost of childcare for families. 

Until there is access to adequate childcare for workers, small businesses will struggle to recover from the economic challenges presented by the pandemic. Small businesses create two-thirds of all new jobs and employ half of all workers. Advancing legislation to create affordable childcare would bolster America’s Main Street businesses and enable them to lead us all to prosperity.



To request an interview with Small Business for America’s Future Co-Chair Anne Zimmerman, contact Conan Knoll at (831) 524-6764 or conan@emccommunications.com.  

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About Small Business for America’s Future

Small Business for America’s Future is a national coalition of small business owners and leaders working to provide small businesses a voice at every level of government. We’re committed to ensuring policymakers prioritize the nation’s 30 million small businesses to create an economy that works for them, their workers and their communities. Visit www.smallbusinessforamericasfuture.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. #SmallBizAF.