Lone Mothers' Employment Trajectories: A Longitudinal Mixed-method Study

Abstract

Using a mixed-method design, this study explores the heterogeneity in employment trajectories before and after the transition to lone parenthood in Switzerland. First, we perform sequence and cluster analysis on data from the Swiss Household panel to identify typical employment trajectories around the transition to lone parenthood, and then estimate their association with individual and household characteristics (N=462). Finally, we contrast these results with findings from a content analysis of narrative interviews with lone mothers residing in Switzerland (N=38), focusing on values and norms concerning work and care. We identify five employment patterns characterized by either an increase in labor supply (especially for those with more/older children) or by stability in or outside the labor market (for highly educated or younger mothers respectively). The analyses of the interviews provide insights on how employment opportunities and decisions differ by entry mode into lone parenthood, the post-separation relationship with the children’s father, and the ability to mobilize individual, social and institutional resources. The heterogeneity of employment trajectories calls for more attention to within-group differences rather than focusing exclusively on the divide between lone and coupled mothers. By identifying the multiplicity of factors shaping lone mothers’ decisions on their labor market participation, this work feeds into the literature suggesting that effective policies encouraging lone mothers’ labor-market participation should consider: (i) their normative priorities when facing work and care trade-offs, and (ii) the availability of informal and formal support.

Social Loneliness after Divorce: Time-Dependent Differential Benefits of Personality, Multiple Important Group Memberships, and Self-Continuity

“…Specifically, individuals experiencing marital instability, those with unsupportive social networks [23], those without children, and most specifically women [4] are at risk of feeling socially lonely, underscoring the importance of social resources. In countries with strong societal norms, such as in Switzerland, gender is an important factor to consider, as the dissolution of marriage is more challenging for women than for men [24]. Women are encouraged to reduce their employment rates or stop any work activity after marriage or motherhood, leading to poorer financial and social resources.…”

Understanding lone mothers’ high poverty in Germany: Disentangling composition effects and effects of lone motherhood

“…For instance, the GSOEP does not provide sufficient information on non-residential fathers' involvement. Prior research finds that the father's reliability regarding negotiated childcare arrangements and maintenance payments is a crucial precondition for lone mothers to accomplish their dual roles as main carers and main earners (Struffolino et al 2018). Hence, a certain bias may remain due to time-varying unobservable characteristics influencing both the likelihood of becoming a lone mother and of being poor (e.g.…”

Qualitative longitudinal research in family sociology

“…Some mothers tried to adjust to such situations by increasing their own income from paid work, which had repercussions in other life domains. For example, when these mothers increased their working hours, they often struggled to find appropriate childcare (Struffolino et al 2020). The author concluded that even welfare institutions that are designed to protect lone parents against poverty and overburden fail to realise that lone mothers' choices are primarily guided by their 'ethic of care'.…”