Parents out of work in record numbers caring for kids sick with RSV, COVID-19 and flu

The number of parents staying home to look after sick kids rose to an all-time high in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “We have sick kids at the same time we have a child-care crisis — you put the two together and there just isn’t any wiggle room,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG. “People are falling through the cracks. It means missed paychecks, disruptions at home, and staffing shortages that erode productivity growth and increase costs at a time when we’re already worried about those things.”