The parent trap: mothers’ struggles to stay in the workforce

Three women tell how low pay and the high cost of childcare make it difficult or impossible to have a job

In his autumn statement, chancellor Jeremy Hunt promised to address the labour shortage by conducting a thorough" assessment of the barriers and incentives to work. Since the pandemic, an extra 630,000 working age adults in the UK have become economically inactive, while job vacancies are close to a record high.

To put the brakes on an exodus from the British job market, Hunt announced measures including a crackdown on benefit claimants. However, he made no mention of childcare provision.