Fathers take more days with the kids

– It seems that they are here reserved months has had an effect on the development towards a more equal levying of the amount of the allowance, " says Alexandra Wallin, head of the department of children and family at the social security office, to TT.

in 1995 and 2002, respectively, were introduced in the first two reserved months, as one of the parents can not transfer to the other. According to the statistics they got fathers to increase their yield. In January 2016, was then the third month.

Now shows FK's analysis, released on Tuesday, that the third month had an effect. Fathers of children born in 2016 have on average taken out of 4.1 föräldraförsäkringsdagar more during the child's first two years than dads did in the past.

by the introduction of the third month, less than the first two months, but it is perhaps not so strange since the first two started from lower levels.

– But any increase is good. This affects equality in the workplace, how children have access to their parents and to have a more equal withdrawals is one of the gender equality policy objectives, " says Wallin.

the Proportion of fathers who have taken out at least 90 days has increased from 36% to 40%, those who took at least 60 days increased from 50 to 53 per cent, while 68 per cent have taken out at least 30 days – an increase from 65 per cent.

Divided parental leave, has at times been a hot political potato in Sweden. Attempts by the government to introduce more reserved months has been stopped by the opposition.

the Analysis from the social Insurance office show that it is mainly of fathers with medium education, which has increased its withdrawal and the believe the Insurance agency because many of them already lay close to the 90 days and took on fully when the third month came.

Those with lower education have not been affected as much, and those who do not take out any maternity pay at all have already in the past proved difficult to reach, " says Wallin.

– for example, We know that men who are self-employed take out a little less, and that some foreign-born men are taking out fewer days but I don't think you can generalize too much there.

shown that norms and attitudes to parental leave affects more than economic conditions, according to Wallin. But also employers 'attitudes play in," she points out.

the social Insurance agency writes in its analysis that ”the effect of the third-reserved month shows that there is a need for further changes in order to achieve a more equal withdrawals for all groups”. But in spite of it does not want to Alexandra Wallin mention a few policy measures that would be appropriate.

"Our primary task is to inform about the parental leave, it is a flexible insurance that can be used in many different ways and about what the consequences of your choice," she says.

Read more: So, you maximize the parental leave