Key facts and figures

Labour market trends

For the majority of two parent families, 82%, there are three main working patterns: both parents working full-time, the father working full-time and the mother part-time, and the sole male breadwinner model.

The proportion of households with two full-time earners has increased from 26% in 2001 to 29% in 2011.

The proportion of households with a father working full-time and a mother working part-time has decreased from 37% in 2001 to 31% in 2011.

The proportion of sole male breadwinner households has remained stable, 22% in 2011.

Working hours

Fathers with dependent children work longer hours than men without dependent children. However, between 2001 and 2011, the usual working hours of fathers working full-time in couple households has fallen from 47 to 45 hours per week.

Working hours of mothers working full-time have remained stable at 39 hours per week.

Mothers working part-time with a partner working full-time are working slightly longer hours, an increase from 17.7 in 2001 to 18.2 hours per week in 2011.

Working long hours and out-of-office hours

Fathers remain more likely to work long hours, but this has declined between 2001 and 2011.

Between 2001 and 2011 the proportion of fathers working 48 or more hours per week has fallen from 40% to 31%, compared with 35% to 29% for all men.

Between 2001 and 2011 the proportion of fathers working 60 or more hours has fallen from 13% to 10%, compared with 11% to 9% for all men.

Work intensity for mothers remained the same between 2001 to 2011.