Do you know that stay-at-home mothers are more likely to think their lives are worthwhile than women who go to work? This was not based on some general assumption or anti-feminist rhetoric but on a study of national happiness in England.
According to the research in July 2013, women tend not to suffer from boredom, frustration or feelings of worthlessness. Full-time mothers also gave the value of their lives a score of eight out of ten, compared to 7.8 for people in work.
Data revealed that married people are significantly more contented than cohabitees and much happier than single or divorced people.
The findings will add further pressure on the Government to change the treatment of married couples where only one partner works. Couples with a full-time mother pay higher taxes in Britain than in almost every other western country and lose out badly in the benefits system, particularly over tax credits.
And the Coalition’s drive to get more mothers to work has produced even more disadvantages. Under a new policy, parents will be given up to £1,200 a year for each child under the age of five to help with the cost of childcare – but only if both parents are in work.
A report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on personal well-being, ordered by David Cameron, looked at the happiness of people who are economically inactive – the class into which full-time mothers fall.
While those who stay at home scored the worth of their lives higher than those who go to work, scores for happiness, life satisfaction and anxiety levels were broadly the same.
The ONS figures do not include a breakdown that reveals whether men or women at work are the happier. Nor is there any data to show the difference in contentment between full-time mothers who are married or cohabiting, and those who are single parents.
The well-being measures have shown that unemployment is a major cause of disenchantment and unhappiness.
According to the research in July 2013, women tend not to suffer from boredom, frustration or feelings of worthlessness. Full-time mothers also gave the value of their lives a score of eight out of ten, compared to 7.8 for people in work.
Data revealed that married people are significantly more contented than cohabitees and much happier than single or divorced people.
The findings will add further pressure on the Government to change the treatment of married couples where only one partner works. Couples with a full-time mother pay higher taxes in Britain than in almost every other western country and lose out badly in the benefits system, particularly over tax credits.
And the Coalition’s drive to get more mothers to work has produced even more disadvantages. Under a new policy, parents will be given up to £1,200 a year for each child under the age of five to help with the cost of childcare – but only if both parents are in work.
A report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on personal well-being, ordered by David Cameron, looked at the happiness of people who are economically inactive – the class into which full-time mothers fall.
While those who stay at home scored the worth of their lives higher than those who go to work, scores for happiness, life satisfaction and anxiety levels were broadly the same.
The ONS figures do not include a breakdown that reveals whether men or women at work are the happier. Nor is there any data to show the difference in contentment between full-time mothers who are married or cohabiting, and those who are single parents.
The well-being measures have shown that unemployment is a major cause of disenchantment and unhappiness.