Change Indicator

Children under age 6 with all available parents in work force, detailed in Maine

Children under age 6 with all available parents in work force, detailed

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Why This Indicator Matters

Higher rates of participation in the workforce are good for household income and helps address Maine's workforce shortage. Also, knowing how many children have all parents in the work force is needed to project the capacity needed for child care services. 

What the data shows
The rate of all parents of children under age 6 in the work force statewide has dipped slightly since the peak 5-year time period of 2014-2018 of 71.1% to 69.6% for the 5-year time period 2018-2022.

At the county level, for the most recent 5-year annual average, from 2018-2022, five counties had rates that exceeded 70%. These were: Sagadahoc (84.5%), Androscoggin (72.8%), Cumberland (73.1%), Kennebec (70.3%), and York (72.2%). The counties with the lowest rate of children under age 6 with all available parents in the workforce were: Franklin (44.0%), Knox (58.6%) and Somerset (61.5%).
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Definition and Source

PROVIDER

Definition

The number and percentage of children under age 6 with all parents in the family in the work force. For children living in a home with two parents this means that both parents are in the work force. For children living in a single-parent family, this means the resident parent is in the labor force. A person is considered in the work force if they are employed part time or full time or if they are unemployed but actively looking for work. 

Data Source

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, with latest being 2018-2022
U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B23008

Notes

Note that 5-year annual estimates are used to obtain county level data. Thus, 2022 represents an annual average for the years 2018-2022.

Last Updated

December 2023