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More Aussie dads taking time off work to care for young children: stats

Xinhua, September 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

More Australian dads than ever before are taking time out from work to care for their young children, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed on Friday.

Ahead of Sunday's Father's Day celebrations, the ABS has said Australian dads are increasingly taking advantage of flexible working arrangements and changing social stigmas to care for their children.

Lisa Conolly, director of Family and Community Statistics at the ABS, said the number of dads choosing to look after their children had almost doubled in the last 20 years.

"Nowadays, around 30 percent of dads took advantage of flexible work hours to look after young children (under 12), compared with 16 percent of dads two decades ago," Conolly said in a statement released on Friday.

"The number of dads working from home to care for their children doubled from 7 percent to 14 percent, while dads who worked part-time to care for their children rose from 1 percent to 5 percent."

Although mothers are still the primary caregivers to children in Australia, Conolly said perceptions towards working through having children were shifting. While nine in 10 dads are still employed despite having children, more mothers than ever before are also holding down employment while raising children.

"90 percent of dads with children under 15 are employed (compared with 65 percent of mums). Just fewer than 92 percent of these dads work full-time (compared with 42 percent of employed mums)," the statement said.

Father's Day is celebrated on Sept. 3 in Australia, and Conolly said while many dads feel "rushed for time" when caring for children under 15 years of age, Sunday is a great excuse for fathers to relax and spend time with loved ones.

"It comes as no surprise that almost all parents of children under 15 - 85 percent of dads and 93 percent of mums - felt rushed or pressed for time," Conolly said.

"However, around 89 percent of both also felt they were able to spend quality time with their family and friends." Endit