This infographic provides information on the effects of the low-cost childcare launched in Quebec in 1997 on paid employment.
Description - Impact of the low-fee universal childcare program in Quebec, 1998 to 2015
Quebec’s low-fee childcare program was launched in 1997. The trends in unpaid childcare and paid employment from 1998 to 2015 in Quebec can help inform the universal childcare program being implemented by the Government of Canada.
Childcare provided by parents, or unpaid childcare, was valued at $284 billion in 2015, or roughly 15% of Canada's gross domestic product.
Women provided two-thirds of the unpaid childcare their children received in 2015.
Across Canada, women spent more time on unpaid childcare and were less likely to be in paid employment compared with men. However, women in Quebec fared better after the province's low-fee childcare program was implemented.
In 2015, women in Quebec tended to spend fewer hours per week providing childcare at home than women at the national level.
Hours of unpaid childcare per week by gender, 2015
| Women | Men | |
|---|---|---|
| Quebec | 47 | 32 |
| Canada | 52 | 30 |
Women in Quebec were also more likely to be in paid employment than women at the national level.
Employment rate by gender, 2015
| Women | Men | |
|---|---|---|
| Quebec | 80% | 89% |
| Canada | 75% | 86% |
The employment rate of women rose faster than that of men, especially for women in Quebec.
The 7-percentage-point difference in the employment rates of women with children in Quebec and women with children in Canada was valued at $2.8 billion in 2015.
Changes in employment rate of individuals with children by gender, 1998 to 2015
| Women | Men | |
|---|---|---|
| Quebec | 30% | 19% |
| Canada | 23% | 17% |
Source: Gu, W. 2022. “The value of unpaid childcare and paid employment by gender: What are the impacts of the low-fee universal childcare program?” Economic and Social Reports, 2(7). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/36280001202200700003-eng
Contact information
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