Labour Market
Over half of children live in working households
Children living in working-age households by combined economic activity status of household, UK
Around six million children (53 per cent) live in households where everyone of working age is in work, according to figures for the second quarter of 2008.
However, around 1.8 million children (15 per cent) were living in a workless household where no one of working age was in work. The remaining 31 per cent of children lived in households containing people that were both working and workless. The proportion of children in workless households has decreased over the last decade along with the general reduction in levels and rates of worklessness. In the second quarter of 1998, 19 per cent of children, equivalent to around 2.2 million, were living in a household where no one was in work.
In the second quarter of 2008, 48 per cent of children living in a lone parent household were living in a household where no one of working age was in work. In contrast, only 6 per cent of children living in a couple household were living in a household where no one was in work. The levels and percentages of children living in workless households have decreased over the decade for all types of household. In the second quarter of 1998, nearly six out of ten (57 per cent) of children living in lone parent households were living in workless households and 8 per cent of children living in a couple household were living in a workless household.
Source: Labour Force Survey, Office for National Statistics
Notes: Working age is defined as men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59
printer-friendly
Focus on Children and Young People