Mothers prefer part-time jobs: Survey

NEW DELHI - Working women prefer to opt for part-time jobs if they have kids, a study published by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) said Saturday.

Over 4,700 working parents in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Pune, and Bangalore, among others, were part of the survey conducted by Assocham’s Social Development Foundation (ASDF), on women’s employment preferences.

Six in ten mothers said that not working outside the home would be ideal for children, and only one in ten said that a full-time working mother is ideal for children, said D.S. Rawat, secretary general, Assocham.

According to Rawat, just 26 percent women who had children did not mind working full time. Whereas, nearly 56 percent said that not working at all is the ideal situation for them.

The study further revealed that mothers with kids aged 0 to 4 years were also less likely to prefer full-time work.

The opinion was uniform irrespective of the varying literacy levels among the participants.

Moreover, as many as 72 percent fathers preferred a mother doing a part-time job. However, full-time working moms gave themselves a slightly lower rating when it came to being ‘a good parent’ as compared to mothers employed part-time or staying at home.