Family obligations and the transition to working life: the influence of parenthood and family obligations on the transition to employment of university graduates

This study focuses on the question of how well young university graduates succeed – despite their family obligations – by exploiting in the labour market the potential they have gained through their education. The findings are based on a survey of university graduates throughout Switzerland and present a positive picture. Natural science and engineering graduates are the only ones for whom participation in childcare makes the transition to working life more difficult. Otherwise, starting a family and involvement in childcare generally do not represent an obstacle to participating in employment and finding a position with high requirements. However, it is relatively rare for recent graduates with children to accept trainee positions, a fact that could have a negative impact on their careers over the long term.