Transitional Phase or a New Balance? Working and Caring by Mothers With Young Children in the Netherlands

In recent years in the Netherlands, mothers’ labor participation has increased sharply. This article examines which factors influence mothers’ employment rates and the division of household and caring responsibilities between parents. From research among 1,285 women with young children, it appears that cultural factors rather than economic motives or institutional obstacles offer the most important explanation for whether they work or not. A culture of care dominates more amongwomen with lower than higher education levels, which clarifies the more limited labor participation of lower educated... Mehr ...