The employment rate of single parents is lower than that of the rest of the population, but there is more motivation to work than those in a relationship.
Prime minister The government of Sanna Marin (sd) needs employment measures from labor market organizations. When considering these actions, a group that would have been motivated to work, according to research, has been forgotten: single-parent families.
The employment rate for this group is clearly lower than for the rest of the population. The situation has not always been so bad. Before the recession of the 1990s, the employment rate of single mothers was clearly higher than that of the rest of the population and also higher than that of mothers of two older families.
Since then, the number of single-parent families has increased as differences have widened. The group includes tens of thousands of jobseekers of working age. By supporting these parents in employment, the number of employed can be increased by several thousand. The reforms would also have an impact on the employment of other parents.
From Statistics Finland According to the data we have ordered, the employment of carers working alone as close parents tangles, especially during infancy, and improves very slowly as the youngest child grows up.
The Diverse Families Network and the Union of Single-Parent Families investigated the reasons for the tangle of employment from employment and business services workers. 70 employees responded to the survey in October. The majority of employees who responded to the survey have found problems with single-parent family caregivers in arranging childcare during job search or labor market training. According to the survey, these guardians also have challenges in receiving shifts. In several cases, shift work had been a reason for resigning from the previous job.
Answers do not surprise. Finnish studies have also highlighted how atypical working hours are difficult for single parents in particular.
Employment difficulties are solved by such a simple means as by better organization of childcare.
There are more and more occupations in the labor market that require flexibility in terms of working hours from the employee. There are demanding working hours, for example, in many jobs in the care, safety and service sectors. The availability of day care in municipalities should be ensured, as in single-parent families, day care is an essential service in supporting work. There may be so few day-care centers in municipalities that travel between work, home and shift care can be unreasonable.
Municipalities should make bold experiments. Parents of young schoolchildren would be helped to develop afternoon activities for schoolchildren, taking into account shift parents, school holidays and special children. Morning and afternoon activities for young schoolchildren and children with special needs should be in place in all municipalities as needed. It is worthwhile to try shift care as a three-family care so that the night nurse comes to the children’s home in accordance with Swedish practice. Adequate home care for families with children should also be provided.
One the challenges of parent families must also be taken into account when arranging employment services. It would be good to remember that there are not always supportive safety nets in the family and another parent with flexible working hours sharing responsibility for the child. The parent must be able to refuse work or employment service without fear of qualifying if childcare cannot be arranged. This is not the case now.
All families must also be taken into account when reforming social security. For many, part-time work and gig work are a way to get involved in working life after family leave. The totality of extraordinary earnings and benefits must be predictable, and work must be able to be received without financial risk and a great deal of bureaucracy.
Supporting the reconciliation of family and work is worthwhile. Studies show that full-time work is the most effective way of protecting single-parent families from poverty. According to research, single mothers are more motivated to participate in working life than mothers in a relationship – even when there is less pay left over from social security.
Youssef Zad and Tiina-Emilia Kaunisto
Zad is an economist in the Union of Public and Welfare Sectors. Kaunisto is a specialist in working life in the Diverse Families network.
The guest pens are the speeches of experts selected by the HS editorial board for publication. The opinions expressed in guest pens are the authors’ own views, not HS’s statements. Writing instructions: www.hs.fi/vieraskyna/.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/guest-pen-the-employment-of-single-parents-would-be-improved-through-more-flexible-childcare/
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