It is well established that there are substantial differences in work behaviour between mothers with partners and lone mothers, yet relatively little is known about the dynamics of the relationships between having a partner and work participation. This research addresses this by exploring the relationships between partnership transitions (separations and unions) and changes in work participation and work characteristics for mothers. Understanding these dynamics is important both for understanding how changes in partnership status and any associated changes in work behaviour may weaken mothers' role in the labour market and for informing the debate as to how much character and circumstance can explain why lone mothers are less likely to be in formal paid employment than mothers with partners.

This research uses data representative of the entire population of mothers from two large-scale surveys - the Families and Children Survey (FACS) and the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), including surveys for the years 1991 to 2006. The analysis systematically examines the relationships between partnership transitions and changes in both work participation and work characteristics such as weekly hours of work and hourly pay. It also considers how these relationships have developed over time and the variations across different types of mothers, as well as drawing comparisons with childless women, fathers and childless men of the importance of partnership transitions.