Job quality in Quebec and the United Kingdom: Trends by sex and family status, 1998-2008

. Using a typology combining pay, hours of work, skill levels and job stability, the author compares the trends in quality of employment between women and men (with and without childcare responsibilities) in Quebec and the United Kingdom over the decade 19982008. Although the gender gap narrowed significantly among working parents with young children, the gap between mothers and fathers in this group remained much smaller in Quebec than in the United Kingdom by the end of the period. The author attributes this pattern to Quebec's healthier economic environment, more women-friendly social policies, and fathers' significantly shorter hours of work.