Juggling Work and Care: Unveiling Maternal Labor Trajectories and Childcare Networks in Chile

Despite increasing female labor participation in Chile, gender inequalities persist in the labor market. This study explores the relationship between maternal labor trajectories and childcare participation patterns from a life course perspective. Using data from the 2012 Longitudinal Survey of Early Childhood, we apply multichannel sequence analysis to characterize these trajectories. The results identify four typical patterns of maternal labor trajectories with their respective care networks, highlighting the influence of education and maternal age on both labor participation and the extent of care networks. This underscores the interdependence between productive and reproductive spheres. Mothers with higher educational levels tend to have more stable labor trajectories and greater labor market participation. The presence of support networks is associated with less discontinuity in maternal labor trajectories. Younger mothers (under 35) exhibit more unstable labor trajectories compared to older mothers. The household's economic situation significantly influences the ability to balance paid and unpaid work, while single-parent households show different care patterns and labor trajectories compared to two-parent households, with greater instability in the former. This approach makes visible care dynamics beyond the maternal figure and provides empirical evidence on persistent gender inequalities, contributing to understanding the mechanisms that perpetuate them. The findings offer valuable inputs for public policies aimed at promoting equality in both labor and care spheres in Chile, highlighting the need for interventions that consider the complex interplay between work, family, and gender in the Chilean context.