Understanding Female Inactivity in Malta: An Empirical Study With Homemakers

SAGE Open

Rose Marie Azzopardi¹ 

关键词: economic inactivity;    work motives;    women;    homemakers;    labor market policy;    Malta;   

DOI  :  10.1177/2158244014561205

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Sage Journals

【 摘 要 】

This empirical study is based in Malta, a small island state with the highest rate of economically inactive women in the European Union (EU). Using a random sample of 402 inactive female homemakers, the responses to a telephone survey revealed that (a) this inactive group is motivated by aspects of social and economic well-being and to a lesser extent by aspects of personal and professional development; (b) work hindrances include low wages, family responsibilities, and a dependency on social security contributions/benefits; (c) the intention to work in the future is significantly associated with work motives, work hindrances, and demographic variables, resulting in an overall holdout accuracy of 84.8%; and (d) the respondents would be encouraged to work if there are more supportive/flexible work structures available for working mothers, equal opportunities for women at the workplace, and employment opportunities through in-work benefits that make work pay (particularly for those aged 40+, with limited skills and with low work intensity). The findings are discussed, and the study concludes by providing four policy recommendations aimed at addressing the present shortcomings of the Maltese labor market.

【 授权许可】

CC BY