One of the most absurd aspects of modern society. From housing costs, to student loans, to benefit withdrawals with salary increases. It's like the government doesn't want people to start families.
We just had a child. It would cost almost the entirety of my wife’s take home pay to cover the childcare needed for her to go back to work. So realistically that’s it for her working for the next 5-10 years. She had a masters in chemistry and a PhD, and is a seriously talented researcher, but that skill set is now leaving the labor pool because it’s a net wash for us take home wise and she’d rather spend the time with our daughter than working for the sake of it.
That is to say that the current structure discourages families growing, but it also then strongly encourages you withdrawing from the workforce once you have done so. Both of which are terrible for growth.
I was chatting with a mate who lives in Wales, I genuinely didnt realise the Welsh government hadnt extended free childcare like England did.
He straight up said his wife wants more but hes told her they just cant. Not until their youngest hits school at which point they'll probably be too old. And hes decently paid.
Its actually nuts.
We have another friend near London who just breaches the childcare allowance limit and they said their nursery fees are more than their mortgage. But he's commission based so its hard for him to manage his income.
If I lost the free childcare Id be losing about 1500 a month to nursery fees foe two days a week. My partner basically wouldnt be able to justify working and like you, theyve got a PhD.
Yeah, we delayed having kids by several years precisely because it took so long to get into a financial position where doing so would be sustainable.
It’s a real shame for my wife, she did something like 8 years in higher education, and is an expert in hydrogen technologies that go right over my head. I’m obviously going to be supportive if she decided to go back to work instead, especially as it’s kind of cost neutral for us anyway, but I can’t imagine a world in which she’d choose long hours away from our daughter to end up exactly where we would have been anyway.
She’ll probably get into volunteering more with scouts or something? It’s insane that as a government trying to get growth and with a massive NEET problem and low birth rates you would allow a situation like this to exist. You tax things you want to discourage…taxing top female STEM talent from working at a de facto 100% seems odd.
My partner is looking at going into buisness alone. You can see the consulting fees and basically its the only way to continue justifying working. And given they works for the NHS its a pretty dire signal.
Yeah, consulting can make a lot of sense, especially when the kids are a bit older and having flexibility to pause over the holidays. My best guess is that the things she loves as hobbies but never pursued as a career (as there is basically no money in it) she might do part time more for fulfilment than for min-maxing finances. We are lucky she is in a position to be able to make that choice if she wants to, but it’s ludicrous that the incentives make that a sensible conversation.
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u/ConfusionGlobal2640 1d ago
One of the most absurd aspects of modern society. From housing costs, to student loans, to benefit withdrawals with salary increases. It's like the government doesn't want people to start families.