Labour market participation of parents with young children

Using Labour Force Survey data, this study analyzed recent trends in the labour market participation of parents with children aged 0 to 5 and labour market characteristics of working and non-working parents with young children in 2021. This study demonstrated that the labour market participation of parents with young children continued to evolve over the last three decades and varied by various demographic characteristics. From 1990 to 2021, labour market participation among parents with young children aged 0 to 5 years became more common. In 2021, two-earner couples accounted for 68% of all couple families with young children, and the employment rate of mothers with young children in one-parent families reached 62%. In that year, compared with other provinces, Quebec had a larger share of two-earner couples, especially both parents working full time, among couple families with young children. The province also had a higher employment rate among mothers in one-parent families with young children. The percentage of couple families with young children that had two earners varied by mothers’ immigrant status and population group. Lastly, a non-trivial share of non-working mothers were unemployed or non-student discouraged workers (defined as non-students who were not in the labour force but wanted a job). Findings suggest that the employment patterns of parents with different characteristics may be influenced differently by the implementation of a Canada-wide early learning and child care system.