Plans and Realization of (Re-)Employment among First Time Mothers Three Years after Childbirth

Fruzsina Ökrös , Hungarian Demographic Research Institute
Zsuzsanna Makay, Hungarian Demographic Research Institute

The aim of our research is to investigate how preconceptions about the timing of future labour market reintegration during pregnancy were realised in the three years following childbirth. In addition, we also examine the socio-demographic characteristics of mothers categorised according to their labour market plans and their realisation, with a particular focus on social role perceptions. The results of our analysis are based on the 1st, 4th, and 5th waves of Cohort '18 - Growing Up in Hungary, among first-time mothers (n=1378). 88% of mothers had a job during their pregnancy, while the highest proportions planned to return to work once their child will be 2-3 years old (35.8%). For further analysis, mothers were divided into four categories: 1. those who started work when they had planned to (successful planners - 20.2%), 2. those who started work later or had not yet started work (postponers – 67.9%), 3. those who started work earlier than planned after the childbirth (quick returnees – 8.7%), 4. those who had not planned to work after the childbirth and remained inactive (stay-at-home mothers – 3.2%). The results show that one fifth of mothers managed to take up a job when they had planned to do so, while the majority is characterised by a prolongation of non-employment. Although the highest proportion of stay-at-home mothers prefer traditional views of society, 50% of them also tend to lean towards modern views. For the remaining three categories, however, there is a majority of those who prefer modern views. Keywords: (re-)employment after childbirth, childcare allowance, maternal employment, birth cohort study

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 Presented in Session 118. Work and Family