Home > Statistics > Labour force survey > 2016 > Families and work > Employment rate is higher for fathers of families with children than for other men

Published: 10 October 2017

Employment rate is higher for fathers of families with children than for other men

The employment rate for fathers with children aged under 18 was 90 per cent in 2016. In contrast, men without children aged under 18 had a clearly lower employment rate, only 73 per cent. Women's employment rates were close to each other regardless of whether they had children aged under 18 or not. These data derive from Labour Force Survey 2016, Families and work.

Employment rates for fathers and men without children in 2012 to 2016, aged 20 to 59, %

The employment rate of men varies according to family type. In 2016, the employment rate for fathers of families with children was 90 per cent, while it was only 73 per cent for men without children. The situation has remained more or less the same in the past five years.

Despite child care, the employment rate of mothers was 74 per cent, or on the same level as that of men without children. The employment rate of women without children was slightly higher, that is, 77 per cent.

Children’s age affects the employment of mothers. Mothers of children aged under one are most often at home looking after their children but mothers go back to work when children grow. When the youngest child is aged three to six, mothers’ employment rate has already risen to the level of women without children, close to 80 per cent.

Employment rates for mothers aged 20 to 59 by age of their youngest child in 2012 to 2016, %

Links

Labour Force Survey tables in databases: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/tau_en.html .

Information about changes in employment and employment relationships in 2016 can be found in earlier annual Labour Force Survey review Labour Force Survey 2016, time series data 2007 to 2016 Labour Force Survey 2016, time series data 2007 to 2016.

The change in the definition of employed with an effect on the employment rate of mothers with small children is described in an article of the Tieto&trendit periodical http://tietotrendit.stat.fi/mag/article/213/ (in Finnish).

Employment among mothers with small children in Finland and Sweden is compared in an article of the Tieto&trendit periodical http://tietotrendit.stat.fi/mag/article/215/ (in Finnish).

Source: Labour Force Survey 2016. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Tarja Nieminen 029 551 3561, Anna Pärnänen 029 551 3795, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (444.4 kB)

Reviews

• 1. Introduction (10.10.2017)
• 2. Employment of mothers and fathers has remained stable (10.10.2017)
• 3. Labour market position of parents in families with children (10.10.2017)
• 4. More mothers with small children than before are working (10.10.2017)
• 5. Concepts (10.10.2017)
• 6. The household section of the Labour Force Survey provides data on employment in families (10.10.2017)

Tables

Tables in databases

Pick the data you need into tables, view the data as graphs, or download the data for your use.

• Database tables and their variables
• Archived tables

Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Employment rates by age of youngest child in 2012 - 2016, population aged 20-59 (10.10.2017)
• Appendix table 2. Employment rates by number of children in 2012 - 2016, population aged 20-59 (10.10.2017)
• Appendix table 3. Activity rates by age of youngest child in 2012 - 2016, population aged 20-59 (10.10.2017)
• Appendix table 4. Activity rates by number of children in 2012 - 2016, population aged 20-59 (10.10.2017)
• Appendix table 5. Unemployment rates by age of youngest child in 2012 - 2016, population aged 20-59 (10.10.2017)
• Appendix table 6. Unemployment rates by number of children in 2012 - 2016, population aged 20-59 (10.10.2017)
• Appendix table 7. Working and family leaves among 20 to 59-year-old mothers by age of their youngest child in 2016 (10.10.2017)
• Appendix table 8. Working and family leaves among 20 to 59-year-old mothers by number of children in 2016 (10.10.2017)

Quality descriptions

• Quality Description: Labour force survey (10.10.2017)

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Updated 10.10.2017