The typical American family has increased its child-care spending by 70% since 1995, according to the U.S. Education Department. Those costs ballooned to a total of $4.9 billion in 2016, which is bad news for women, who tend to shoulder more child-care-related responsibilities and housework than their male partners. Economists say mothers are more likely than fathers to drop down to part-time work or leave the labor force altogether when child care gets pricey.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 21, 2018 13:07 UTC