Labour Market Participation: Family and Work Challenges across the Life Course

Abstract Having a job is an important indicator of economic and social wellbeing, two-earner families are becoming the norm rather than exception. As result, many more women, including mothers, in labour force now ever before. Balancing family work responsibilities therefore becomes important, not just for women but also men who sharing caring load with their partners, especially when young pre-school children present. However, employment equally distributed across families, some have noone which leads to financial vulnerability. Even one-earner that depend on low-skilled, low-wage earner may struggle get by provide opportunities succeed life achieve mental, physical wellbeing. This lead intergenerational transmission disadvantage poor outcomes from parents children. Gender inequality ongoing inequalities relating gender divisions being particularly vulnerable terms earnings capacity retirement savings relationship ends. One-parent specifically at risk as they often no partner whom share care-taking role, making work-family balance difficult achieve. In this chapter we review Australian evidence these issues policy implications.