Impact of child care on the labor market

We cannot ignore it- child care in the Netherlands is well regulated. Especially compared to other countries such as Sweden. Yet the price of child care can be a barrier to full employment for women.

It is now more attractive to work part-time, since you get more allowance. Yet women not only make less money this way, they also get fewer advancement opportunities. Four in 10 women do not even reach the lower limit of economic independence.

The government also recognizes this problem and is taking steps to make full-time work more attractive. In doing so, they focus on expanding birth leave, reducing burdens on labor and investing in child care. That last point is already being addressed.

In fact, starting this year, the childcare allowance will be handled differently: it will no longer depend on the number of hours worked. This will be a relief for self-employed workers and parents with irregular hours. Yet many parties are still pushing for free child care.

Want to know more about whether this is a good idea?