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NC continues to gain jobs, but is losing state employees over pay that isn’t keeping up with inflation
State labor market data released Friday shows that the economic recovery jumpstarted by federal aid continued through October in North Carolina. North Carolina has added jobs every month over the past year, and the state now has more than 200,000 additional jobs than before the COVID-19 pandemic. On average over the past six months, we’ve […]
North Carolina’s job growth continued in June, but wages aren’t keeping up with rising costs
Statewide job growth North Carolina is continuing at a fast clip, with nearly 26,000 jobs added in June. The latest data show that the state now has over 130,000 more jobs than at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping North Carolina ahead of the U.S. by this measure of economic recovery. The percentage of […]
Today’s enhanced monthly Child Tax Credit payment could be the last that families receive unless Congress acts to extend this successful policy
Today marks the sixth round of Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments going out to an estimated 1.2 million families in North Carolina, supporting the well-being of nearly two million children in the state. The temporary improvements to the CTC under the American Rescue Plan increased funding available to families, expanded eligibility by making the credit […]
Expanded Child Tax Credit has caused big reductions in childhood poverty, but more action is needed
Last week on Sept. 15, the third round of payments for the newly expanded federal Child Tax Credit (CTC) went out to millions of families with children across the country. The CTC is one of the nation’s key anti-poverty programs, and the American Rescue Plan Act made some important — but temporary — changes to […]
NC needs to invest in child care assistance if we want to get people back to work
The COVID-19 pandemic has put child care access and affordability front and center. Working parents and early childhood educators have always known how important child care is, but now the need to shore up and transform our early childhood education system is front page news. On Mother’s Day weekend, an op-ed in Raleigh’s News & […]
House Bill 574 essential to building strong, equitable childcare system in NC
Next week, the state House Committee on Families, Children, and Aging Policy will consider a bill that would provide a significant boost to the state’s early childhood education system. House Bill 574 would revise the reimbursement rates paid to those who care for children who receive childcare assistance. Increasing these rates is an important step to […]
New survey: North Carolina voters want more public investments in child care
The importance of early childhood education has never been clearer than during the COVID-19 pandemic. High-quality child care and early childhood education are critical for children’s development, for supporting working parents, and for thriving communities. The lasting, transformative benefits of early childhood investments require sustained commitment from North Carolina leaders, and voters want to see […]
NC early childcare system is left behind by inadequate COVID relief
As North Carolina parents juggle working, supervising remote learning and providing child care for their youngest kids, survey data from August shows that our state’s childcare infrastructure needs more support. Early childhood educators have provided crucial supports for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. As more people return to work, we’ll need a strong childcare system for a successful economic recovery. While many programs are re-opening, those that are currently operating reported serving about 30% fewer children […]