But first, the babies

INC. THIS MORNING But first, the babies Good morning, One popular narrative about unemployed Americans turning down jobs in the last year suggests the culprit is the generous unemployment benefits they’re receiving. But a recent poll from data intelligence firm Morning Consult tells a different story: lack of child care. Job candidates--especially women, who’ve been disproportionately affected professionally by the pandemic--can’t take your jobs if there is nowhere to leave the kids. And letting your employees work from home won’t cut it, writes Inc. columnist Suzanne Lucas. That just means asking them to do two jobs at once (their paid work and child care), which isn’t possible for many people juggling babies and toddlers. However, there are other things your business can do to help. Read Lucas’s column to [learn four steps you can take to ease the burden of child care]( for your staff. SPONSORED CONTENT [What do customers want and need in 2021 as the world re-opens?]( Klarna surveyed 29K US consumers and analyzed their shopping data (including 8M saved items in the Klarna app) to find out. [Get the answers](. HERE'S WHAT ELSE I'M READING TODAY: The Delta variant poses a new threat to workplaces, especially those with unvaccinated employees. Here’s [how to assess your risk](. --Inc. Related: businesses are [revising their rules]( about employee vaccinations and wearing masks again because of the Delta variant. --New York Times. Writing a job listing? Definitely [do not use these words](. --Fast Company U.S. small businesses received a record-breaking [$145.7 billion in federal contracts]( in the last fiscal year, according to the Small Business Administration. --Inc. Thinking of starting a podcast? Now might be the right time: Spotify revealed that its podcast ad revenue is up more than [600 percent year over year](. --Inc. ONE MORE THING: [Ron Popeil]( the expert pitchman who invented dozens of household gadgets and became known for his ubiquitous TV infomercials, passed away at 86. --Inc. --Sophie Downes Assistant editor, Inc. How are we doing? Send me ideas and feedback at [sdownes@inc.com](mailto:sdownes@inc.com?subject=Inc.%20This%20Morning%20Feedback), and on [Twitter](. Join the visionaries who choose Inc. as their trusted source for the most accurate reporting on business. [Join Inc. Unlimited today.]( [Click here]( to forward to a friend. This email was sent by: Mansueto Ventures 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor New York, NY, 10007, [Unsubscribe]( • [Update Profile]( • [View in Browser]( • [Privacy Policy](