Employment patterns and trends for families with children

This report finds that women are increasingly remaining employed when they take time off to have a baby, demonstrating the uptake of parental leave in recent years. Within couple families, there remain gendered patterns of employment, with mothers much more likely than fathers to reduce employment to care for young children. The proportion of mothers employed, though, continues to increase. In 2022, both parents were employed in 71% of couple families with children under 15 years. This compares to 56% in 2000 and 40% in 1979.
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