The brain drain - which according to the research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) risks harm to children's life chances - is being driven by falling childcare worker pay, while retail wages are on the rise.
Growing workforce instability has serious implications for the future of childcare provision, according to the EPI - concerns echoed by Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance.
"You can't blame these dedicated professionals for swapping the pressure and long hours of the early years for more pay and less stress working in a supermarket," he said.
"This is the fault of government and, if ministers are serious about the early years, they need to accept the reasons behind why people are leaving the sector and start funding childcare properly."
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