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4. Concepts

Parents of families with children are women and men with their own or their spouse’s children aged under 18 living in the same household.

Women and men without children are women and men without children aged under 18 living in the same household. Thus they include:

• Persons without any children

• So-called long distance parents whose children live and are registered at the address of the other parent

• Parents whose children are aged over 18 or have already moved into their own household.

In this review, 20 to 59-year-old women and men without children have been compared with parents of families with children in order to improve the comparability of these groups in respect of age and stage in life. More than 99 per cent of the parents of children aged under 18 locate in this age group.

Family leaves comprise maternity and paternity leave, parental leave (incl. so-called “daddy” month) and child care leave. They are leaves which the parents of small children are entitled to take by law from work in order to care for their children until the youngest child reaches the age of three. The employment contracts of the parents remain valid during these family leaves. Persons on maternity or paternity leave and persons on leaves lasting under three months are classified as employed in the Labour Force Survey.

Source: Labour force survey 2009. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Laura Hulkko (09) 1734 2611, Anna Pärnänen (09) 1734 2607, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 12.10.2010