Employment Transitions after Motherhood in Spain

This paper investigates transitions from employment to non-employment and downward occupational mobility after motherhood in Spain. Around 40 per cent of Spanish women who were at work 1 year before childbearing leave employment, most permanently, and one-third of these exits move to unemployment. The probability of staying on at work after birth is reduced with the rise of fixed-term contracts and increased with experience and level of education. Downward occupational mobility is not common amongst women remaining employed since they do not switch to part-time jobs.