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More mothers with young children than ever before in the workforce The employment rate amongst mothers with young children continues to move up, according to Vanier Institute of the Family’s latest Current State of Canadian Family Finances. In 1990, just over half (53%) of women with a child under the age of three were working at a paid job, which has now risen to about two-thirds. The percentage of women with children aged three to six years of age with a paid job also jumped from 60% in 1990 to about 70% currently. The increase in the paid employment rate has been the most rapid amongst lone-parent families, where the employment rate jumped from 63% in the mid-1990s to about 83% currently. According to this report, most of the employed are in the job market because they want to be, but a growing number are working because they really need more money. In recent years, the reality remains that this increasing contribution has generally just been enough to maintain family and household incomes rather than create major increases. One of the reasons behind the push to dual-income families is the 15-year trend in real (adjusted for impact of inflation) average hourly earnings. The real average hourly earnings have increased by about a dime from 1991 to the estimate for 2005. In addition, on average, the time worked per week declined by about an hour and a half over the same period. Flat earnings and fewer hours mean less money. To read the entire report, please see: http://www.vifamily.ca/library/cft/state05.html |
