A new TUC analysis of the Labour Force Survey has found that women with young children are nearly a third less likely to be in work than men with children of the same age. The TUC analysis found that on average just 64% of mothers with children aged 0-4 are in paid employment, compared to 93% of fathers with pre-school age children. The analysis shows that the age of a woman’s youngest child has a clear influence on whether or not she works. The employment rate for mums increases by 11% to 75% for women with children at primary school (aged 5-10) and by 17% to 81% for mothers with secondary school age children (11+). The TUC is asking employers to be supportive of working parents and show some flexibility if needed to help them adapt to different childcare pressures once children start school and let parents use parental leave as flexibly as possible to help them cover school holidays.

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