The child care worker shortage is slowly easing

 The number of childcare workers is slowly ticking up — with 10,000 employees added over the past two months — but still is about 9% below pre-pandemic levels as employers struggle to hire.

Why it matters: The U.S. needs more people in the workforce, and a shortage of childcare workers sure isn't helping.

The bottom line: U.S. labor force participation fell for the third straight month in November. One possible reason is that parents are having trouble finding someone to look after their children.

• The shortage also helps push older workers out of the labor force as some pitch in to help watch grandchildren at home.