Families and Work in Transition in 12 Countries, 1980-2001
Author(s)
Kats, Vladimir; Martin, Gary
Abstract
Profound changes in family structure and employment patterns took place in 12 developed countries during the last two decades of the 20th century, continuing earlier trends. The traditional nuclear family unit, a married couple with children, declined steadily as a proportion of all households. Married-couple households without children maintained a generally stable share. By contrast, the proportion of single-parent and one-person households rose in all of the countries studied. The article begins with historical background information, setting the stage for a more current description of major demographic and sociological changes directly influencing family composition: fertility rates, age composition of the population, marriage and divorce rates, and births out of wedlock. Trends in household composition are discussed, followed by a consideration of family employment patterns, mainly through an analysis of employment-to-population ratios, first for women and then, more specifically, for mothers.
