The charts illustrate the employment patterns of mothers who have young children to care for, showing how participation in work varies according to the age of the youngest child and the type of employment.
Overall, it is clear that as children grow older, mothers are increasingly likely to return to work. In addition, part-time employment is consistently more common than full-time work across all age groups.
When children are under one year old, the majority of mothers do not work, reflecting the high level of childcare required at this stage. However, once the youngest child reaches early childhood, the proportion of mothers in employment rises noticeably. This increase is driven mainly by growth in part-time work, which appears to offer greater flexibility for balancing work and family responsibilities.
As children approach school age, full-time employment also becomes more common, although it remains less popular than part-time work. By the time the youngest child is at primary school age, most mothers are economically active, and the gap between non-working mothers and those in employment narrows significantly.
In summary, mothers’ employment participation increases steadily with the age of their youngest child, with part-time work being the dominant pattern throughout