The Human Cost: Millions of working parents, especially women, are unpaid caregivers. Why doesn’t government data account for their labor?

The U.S. economy relies on unpaid care to function, as parents juggle childcare and chores, and others manage elderly at home. Yet caregiving is not considered as part of economic output.

Here’s why economists say unpaid care is important, and contributes to GDP: Taking care of children or the elderly allows the rest of the population to work. But only paid care is considered as valuable, and counts towards economic output.

That…