Career breaks of women due to family reasons: a long-term perspective using retrospective data

Abstract

In this article, we analyse whether family-related quits present long-term effects upon women’s careers, and the magnitude of such effects. For this purpose, the impact of family-related breaks in the first ten years of their labour careers on three measures of occupational prestige is examined, using the British Household Panel Survey. Women who are intermittently attached to the labour market are found to work, on average, in occupations associated to significantly lower prestige levels. In particular, additional family-related interruptions have a negative impact that becomes persistent and cumulative. Moreover, the observed decrease in prestige levels is enhanced by the length of job separations.