It is well known that having a child requires some lifestyle adjustments. Parenthood can hinder the wellbeing of new parents since it is difficult to combine the demands of a child with work and leisure. In this study, A. Roeters, J.J. Mandemakers and M. Voorpostel  take into account the lifestyle differences of individuals before becoming parents. Using data from eleven waves of the Swiss Household Panel, the researchers investigate to what extent individuals’ participation in leisure activities and paid work moderates the effects of parenthood on wellbeing.

In the last decades, partnership markets in Europe have experienced an increase in so-called “secondary singles”, meaning individuals who have been married in the past and who are now ready to start a new relationship. For some of them, dating someone who has children may be undesirable, since taking the role of a step-parent is associated with anticipated relationship stress. 

When women in Europe become mothers this often negatively affects their labour market position. Even though employment levels of migrant women are comparably low in general, little is known how motherhood affects their working life. 

Increasing divorce and separation rates among couples make repartnering an important factor to understand the dynamics of partnership formation today. Using register data from Belgium, Inge Pasteels and Dimitri Mortelmans (2017) from the University of Antwerp, explore how economic resources and an individual’s previous union influence the likelihood of finding a new partner.

To better understand the consequences of career breaks within the scope of governmental schemes to support a better work-life balance, research so far has mainly focused on the effects of parental leave for women and gender gaps in wage differentials. Mortelmans and Frans (2017) go beyond these shortcomings by examining the impact of career breaks on the income of both men and women, and across the life course.