Chart 13: Household debt (Source: OECD Stat)
High costs, such as childcare, worsen inequality in many ways. For example, evidence from the Growing up in Ireland study shows the impact of inadequate childcare on lower income groups taking up employment. Those in the lowest two deciles are over six times more likely to be prevented from looking for a job because of difficulty arranging childcare than those in the highest two income deciles. While those in the lowest decile are five times more likely to have turned down or left a job because of childcare difficulties. Providing a high quality, affordable, universal, public early childhood care and education system would, therefore, be a key way to address inequality and poverty.
Chart 14: Access to childcare (Source: ‘Growing up in Ireland’)
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