Although it is widely accepted that highly qualified teachers are integral to the quality of service and the well-being of young children in childcare settings, little is known about the qualifications and skills of childcare workers. This paper combines data from multiple sources to provide a comprehensive assessment of the quality of people employed in the childcare sector. I find that today’s workforce is relatively low-skilled: childcare workers learn less than those in other occupations, score very low on cognitive ability tests, and are among the lowest paid people in the economy. I also show that the relative quality of childcare workers is falling, in part because people with higher skills are increasingly finding the childcare sector less desirable than other jobs. In addition, I provide evidence that at least three other factors may be associated with a decline in job quality. First, the recent proliferation of community college programs offering child care-related certificates and degrees may divert students away from four-year schools. Second, those majoring in child care-related fields are poorly selected for their cognitive abilities, thereby reducing the quality of the child care workforce. Third, I show that the increased availability of employment options outside of highly skilled women has had a negative impact on the quality of childcare workers.
That comes from a new paper by Chris M. Herbst. By using the excellent Kevin Lewis.
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