Trajectories of Unpaid Labour and the Probability of Employment Precarity and Labour Force Detachment Among Prime Working-Age Australian Women

Worldwide, women are over-represented in precarious and insecure employment arrangements. Importantly, the high unpaid labour demands women experience over the life course compromise paid labour force participation for women. This study explores the way different trajectories of time spent in unpaid labour throughout women's prime working and child-rearing years (from baseline age of 25-35 yrs to 42-52 yrs) are associated with indicators of precarious employment and labour force detachment later in life. We applied group-based trajectory modelling to 17 waves (2002-2018) of data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey to identify trajectories in unpaid labour. We then examined associations between these estimated trajectories and employment outcomes in wave 19 (2019). Our study shows that chronic exposure to high amounts of unpaid labour over prime working-age years (compared to lower exposure levels) increases women's probability of precarious employment and labour force detachment later in prime working life. This provides evidence that ongoing inequity in the division of unpaid labour has considerable long-term implications for gender inequality in the paid labour force, and underscores the importance of urgently addressing how men and women share and prioritise time across both paid and unpaid labour domains.

Automated summary

Globally, women are disproportionately affected by precarious employment and face higher unpaid labor demands, leading to compromised participation in the paid labor force. This study investigates the relationship between different trajectories of unpaid labor during women's prime working and child-rearing years and indicators of precarious employment and labor force detachment later in life. Utilizing trajectory modeling and data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, the study finds that chronic exposure to high levels of unpaid labor increases the likelihood of precarious employment and labor force detachment for women in their prime working age. This highlights the long-term implications of inequality in the division of unpaid labor and the urgency of addressing the sharing and prioritization of time between men and women in both paid and unpaid labor domains.