Returning to work after childbirth in France, Italy, and Spain

The aim of this study was first, to describe the percentage of women returning to work in the first year after childbirth and the length of effective post-natal leave in France, Italy, and Spain among first- and second-time mothers who were employed during the pregnancy, and second, to analyse the main factors related to returning to work in the three countries. These include characteristics of the job, demographic and other social factors, and factors related to the baby. Longitudinal surveys were carried out in France, Italy, and Spain using a very similar design. Mothers were interviewed three times: a few days after the birth and when the baby was 5 months and 12 months old. In the three countries the response rate was over 80 pet cent at 12 months. Results show that the proportion of women returning to work within the first year following the birth was high and similar in France and Italy, at about 80 per cent, and lower in Spain, at 53 per cent. The duration of post-natal leave was different: the shortest was in France and the longest in Italy, with very different distributions of the moment of returning to work, which were consistent with the social policies concerning maternity and parental leave. Social and occupational characteristics discriminate between women who returned to work and those who did not. In all three countries, not returning to work after childbirth is more frequent in low social classes or among women with less secure jobs, suggesting that childbirth increases social inequalities among women.