Educational Inequalities in Maternal Employment: The Case of Switzerland, 1970-2010

Using Swiss Census Data from 1970 to 2000 and the Structural Survey 2010 this paper investigates whether rising employment levels among mothers who live with a partner indicate growing educational inequalities in maternal employment. Results show that employment rates have risen faster among better educated mothers. However, the educational resources of their partners continue to have a negative effect on the level of employment among mothers: The growing relevance of mothers' education explains the larger increase in part-time employment among those with a higher educational level while the effect of partners' education accounts for the rising prevalence of full-time maternal employment in families with less education. As maternal employment within the Swiss context does not enjoy institutional support, the educational gap in maternal employment is likely to persist.