[philwelch]

This reminds me of the old paradox that a man who marries his maid is reducing GDP, because when she was the maid she would cook and clean and he would pay her enough to support her as a business transaction, but as husband and wife, she still cooks and cleans and he still supports her but it's not a business transaction anymore.

Likewise, a mother who goes to work and spends her whole paycheck on child care increases GDP, but if she just stays home and cares for the child herself, it doesn't count because it's not a business transaction.