28 July 2006 - Publication of DWP research report 358: the economic position of large families
Research published today by the Department for Work and Pensions explores the extent to which large families experience low living standards and poverty.
The research attempts to address whether it is family size that explains the weaker economic position of large families, or whether there are other factors associated with being a large family which independently contribute to their disadvantage.
The main findings are as follows:
DWP Research Report 358: The economic position of large families
- Thirty-seven per cent of four-child families, and 55 per cent of families with five or more children, are poor, compared with only 12 per cent of one-or two-child families.
- These differences in poverty rates are partly attributable to the higher needs of large families. However, a higher proportion of the difference is attributable to the less favourable position of large families in the labour market.
- Fathers and mothers of large families (4 or more children) consistently report reduced employment rates, fewer hours and lower earnings per hour than parents of smaller families. Analysis suggests that employment disadvantage is more important than size itself in tipping large families into poverty.
- Sixty-five per cent of mothers in couple families with one child work for 16 hours or more per week, compared with 14 per cent of mothers with five or more children. Ninety-one per cent of fathers with two children have a job compared with only 63 per cent of fathers with five or more children.
- Mothers with one child earn £9.20 per hour, compared with £7.50 for mothers of five or more children. Mean hourly wages of fathers in three-child families are £13.60 per hour; for fathers in five-child families they are £11.40 per hour.
- Becoming a mother at an early age is by far the most important predictor of going on to have a large family. Over half of mothers who give birth at 15 or 16 will go on to have large families.
- The research found that employment prospects deteriorate as more children are added to a family. However, there is no clear sign of the opposite – employment patterns seems quite stable when the number of children falls again.
- Employment of fathers in large families appears to be very sensitive to fluctuations in employment opportunities, so large families gaining from the overall improvement in the labour market over recent years may suffer in the event of a downturn.
- The research suggests that mother’s employment gives higher returns than a father working extra hours. Therefore policies which increase incentives for women to return to work such as accessible and affordable childcare and flexible working may help reduce poverty amongst large families.
Notes for editors
- The analysis was carried out by Richard Berthoud and Maria Iacovou
at the Institute of Economic and Social Research at the University of Essex
using data from the Family Resources Survey and Family and Children Study.
- Research Report No 358 The economic position of large families is published on 28 July 2006. A summary and copy of the report is available on the DWP website: http//www.dss.gov.uk/asd/asd5.
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