Few mothers work full-time

Fewer than one in ten Dutch mothers with underage children had a full-time job in 2005. This proportion has hardly changed since 1996. Although more mothers are working, they mainly opt for part-time jobs. Three days a week at work is a particularly popular choice.

One quarter of mothers work a three-day a week

Nearly 2 million women in the Netherlands had underage children in 2005. Fewer than one in ten of these mothers had a full-time job (35 hours or more a week). Most worked part-time, and jobs for three day a week (20-27 hours) were particularly popular.
Two in five mothers did not have paid work, or worked for less than twelve hours a week, and were thus not part of the employed labour force.

Working hours of women with underage children, 2005

Strong rise in part-time working mums

The proportion of mothers with a full-time job has hardly increased since 1996. Although more mothers are now in the employed labour force, the increase is accounted for by mothers with part-time jobs. In 1996 just over one third of mothers had a job of 12-34 hours a week, in 2005 this was more than half of mothers. 

Working hours of mothers with underage children, 2005

Full-time working mothers often single

Twenty percent of mothers working full-time were single. This is considerably more than the percentage of singles among part-time working mothers. Only 6 percent of mothers working for 12-19 hours a week in 2005 were single. Relatively more mothers working full-time had a partner with a part-time job: 23 percent. For mothers with a job of 12-19 hours this was only 11 percent.

Working hours of mothers with underage children by partner’s working hours, 2005

Johan van der Valk