More working mothers with young children

Over the past decade, more mothers with young children have become active on the job market. Three quarters of mothers with young children were employed or actively seeking work in the third quarter of 2012. Important factors in this respect are their level of education and whether or not they have partners.

Labour participation rate mothers has risen substantially since 2002

There are nearly 1.4 million mothers with young children in the Netherlands, of whom 76 percent were active on the labour market in the third quarter of 2012. They were employed for at least twelve hours a week or were actively seeking jobs for at least twelve hours a week. The gross labour market participation rate has risen considerably over the past decade. In the third quarter of 2002, the rate was 60 percent, but many mothers with young children are working on a part-time basis: in the third quarter of this year, 86 percent had between 12 and 35 working hours a week.

Gross labour market participation rate mothers with children under the age of twelve

For a declining number of mothers looking after the family is a reason for not participating on the job market

Nearly 330 thousand mothers were not working in the third quarter of 2012, were not available for work either or not actively seeking employment. More than 67 thousand had never been employed. Nearly half of mothers with young children who are not looking for jobs say the care for their family is a priority versus 66 percent in 2002.

Gradual increase in labour participation mothers educated at secondary level

With 87 percent, mothers graduated from vocational colleges (hbo) or university (wo) are significantly more often active on the labour market than their lower educated counterparts, of whom approximately half are employed. In recent years, the labour market participation rates among lower and higher educated mothers have changed little, but the participation rate among mothers educated at secondary level has steadily grown.

Gross labour market participation rate mothers with children under the age of twelve by level of education

Participation rate single mothers lower

In the third quarter of this year, 67 percent of single mothers were active on the labour market, as against 77 percent of mothers with a partner. The labour market participation rate was also relatively low among mothers with three or more young children (64 percent), although the participation rate also improved in these categories.

Gross labour market participation rate of mothers with children under the age of twelve by household situation

Francis van der Mooren