Understanding Differences in Labour Market Attachment of Single Mothers in Great Britain and West Germany

Hannah Zagel

No 773, SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research from DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP)

Abstract: This paper investigates the relationships between single mothers’ demographic and socio-economic circumstances and differences in their labour market attachment in Great Britain and West Germany. Employment of single mothers is a key issue in current policy debates in both countries, as well as in welfare state research. The heterogeneity of the group of women who experience single motherhood poses a challenge to contemporary social policy. To complicate the matter, single motherhood is not static but a result of family life dynamics. This paper provides an empirical insight into differences in labour market attachment of single mothers, investigating the demographic and socio-economic factors that distinguish careers dominated by full-time, part-time or non-employment. Considering 10-18 years of women’s careers, data from the British Household Panel Survey (1991-2008) and the German Socio-Economic Panel (1991-2008) (N= 678) are used for regression analysis. The findings suggest that, in both countries, young single mothers experience longer periods of non-employment. Vocational qualifications go together with part-time careers while high education attainments and school-age children allow for full-time employment. Part-time employment is a less common track for British compared to West German single mothers.

Keywords: Single mothers; maternal employment; family-employment reconciliation; United Kingdom; West Germany (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 21 p.
Date: 2015
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp773

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