ABSTRACT
In times of economic crisis, non-standard workers – who are more often women – are among the first to lose their jobs. While in need of income protection, they often have fewer entitlements to unemployment insurance or benefits. For mothers, a transition to unemployment may entail additional constraints in terms of care responsibilities and limited access to leave and childcare entitlements. Furthermore, governments may curtail much-needed family policies in times of crisis due to budget cuts. This chapter combines a genderisation/degenderisation lens with a typology of unemployment welfare regimes to trace often hidden gendered implications. It assesses the design features of unemployment insurance or benefits, childcare and leave policies in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In all four countries, non-standard workers face challenges in accessing unemployment protection, for instance due to eligibility rules based on past employment – often disadvantaging women. Entitlements to paid leave are also sometimes linked to employment status, particularly for longer parental leave, posing additional barriers to unemployed mothers. Access to childcare may similarly depend on employment status, and full-time places are often limited – making it difficult for mothers to secure adequate care. These findings point to institutionally embedded gender inequalities, especially in times of crisis.
