Biden admin says stay-at-home moms harm economy.

The Biden Administration’s Executive Orders and the Value of Homemaking

The Biden administration recently announced a set of executive orders aimed at improving care for hard-working families while supporting care workers and family caregivers. While some of these efforts have merit, the rationale behind them is striking.

The Administration’s Belief

The administration believes that many Americans, particularly women, stay out of the workforce to care for their families, making it hard for businesses to attract and retain a skilled workforce and for the economy to grow. A BCG brief forecasts losses of $290 billion each year in gross domestic product in 2030 and beyond if the U.S. fails to address the lack of affordable child care.

It might be better for GDP growth if parents caring for their kids and family members rejoined the paid workforce and put their kids in paid childcare. But surveys are clear that this is not what many parents prefer to do.

The Value of Homemaking

The $3.5 trillion in incalculable value full-time mothers provide does not somehow become worthless or unimportant just because it is outside the formal economy. Homemakers serve as a type of vital national infrastructure. They care for their families and communities. Their many indispensable services may not be reflected in the GDP, but are certainly recognized by their children and neighbors.

We need a better way to value homemaking, one that is not focused on GDP growth above all other possible metrics. The GDP is a useful metric, but it is also merely a metric. It cannot measure the strength of America’s families, the well-being of her children, or the vibrancy of her communities.

The Biden Administration’s Focus

The Biden administration’s focus on getting homemakers into the workforce is short-sighted. It may improve GDP growth, but there is no reason to believe that is what American families want or need.

Supporting breadwinner-homemaker families is good for many businesses, as it provides a stable dynamic that parents actually want when taking care of little kids!

• The administration’s belief is that women staying out of the workforce to care for their families is bad for GDP growth.
• Homemaking provides incalculable value that is not reflected in the GDP.
• The Biden administration’s focus on getting homemakers into the workforce is short-sighted.

Let’s value homemaking for what it is: a vital national infrastructure that cares for families and communities.

A version of this essay originally appeared at the author’s Substack.

About the Author

Ivana Greco is the Wollstonecraft fellow at the Abigail Adams Institute.