Returning to work after childbirth: opportunities and inequalities

Data from a national survey of new mothers are used to examine class and labour market differences in women's labour market opportunities after childbirth. Women's labour market intentions during pregnancy are brought into the analysis in order to examine class and labour market effects on securing a desired outcome. Substantially unequal rates of returning to work are shown to exist and to have persisted over the last decade among women with occupations in different social classes. Examining the relationship between women's employment intentions during pregnancy and their labour market outcomes after childbirth confirmed the importance of class position. One implication of the research is that there is likely to be increased polarization of advantage and disadvantage among women in the labour market, and among families in general.