MIDLIFE WOMENS EMPLOYMENT AND PENSION ENTITLEMENT IN RELATION TO CORESIDENT ADULT CHILDREN IN GREAT-BRITAIN

Data from the General Household Surveys of 1988-1990 was analyzed to examine how the employment and pension plan membership of British midlife women was related to the presence, employment status, and earnings of their adult children, while controlling for other relevant factors. Information was available on over 9,000 women aged between 40 and 59, nearly half of whom have adult children living with them. Midlife women with adult children at home were less likely to work full-time than women whose children had left home, although the overall rate of employment was not related to the presence of adult children. Women who had never had a child were more likely to work full-time than women whose children had left home. Women were less likely to belong to an occupational pension scheme if they had coresident adult children than if all children had left home, after controlling for hours of work.