New approach needed to bring women with older kids into the workforce: SCP

The government should focus more on mothers with children who are older and more independent when encouraging women working part-time to work more hours. The Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP) believes this would increase the labor supply but added that it would require a new approach.

The government’s policy currently focuses mainly on mothers of young children, the SCP noted. But women with older children make up half of all women working part-time, according to the institute. The SCP called them “a forgotten group,” which could increase the share of women in higher positions if they started working more. They could also contribute to remedying the shortages in the labor market.

According to the SCP, this will require more than leave schemes and childcare. The SCP suggested making work more rewarding. But the planning office doubts whether the Cabinet’s plan to introduce a full-time bonus will be enough to get more women in the workforce. The SCP thinks that part-time work is too deeply ingrained in society for that.