Data from a national survey of women who had recently given birth are used to examine women's employment experiences around the time of childbirth. The data provide further evidence of the trend towards an early return to work following childbirth. There has also been a narrowing in rates of return to work after childbirth between women previously employed part-time and full-time, and a reduction in occupational downward mobility for some women. The data provide support for the proposition that, as a result of an improvement in some women's labour market opportunities, the 1990s may see a narrowing in gender inequality in the labour market. It is suggested that one possible outcome of this may be an increase in equality between women as individuals and among families in general.
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