Rates of Childcare and Employment Disruptions During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Households with Children Under Age 5: Variation by Household Characteristics

Black and Hispanic individuals, as well as those with lower incomes, had fewer resources with which to respond to sudden and prolonged childcare disruptions due to the nature of their employment. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report describes rates of childcare disruptions and employment-related responses from July 2021 to May 2022 for households with children under age 5, both overall and by five household characteristics: race/ethnicity, household income, the number of adults in the household, employment status, and telework status. Responses to childcare disruptions included losing pay, taking paid leave, not working or not searching for a job, and supervising children while working.