Is it unusual for someone in their late thirties to have only ever worked part time?

[FullAndHollow]

Just idly wondering really.

A friend of mine in her late thirties has worked for most of her adult life but due to circumstances only ever part time.

I was just thinking I don't think I know anyone else our age who has never worked full time and wondering how common it is.

Could easily happen if they had children young and then had more children a decade later. Other than that it's quite unusual I think

I went part time around 15 years ago because I was earning enough to live. No kids I just didn't want to work anymore hours just because I could. I'd rather do other things with my time.

I obviously meant outside of my family. I have met all of my friends since I had my dc and they assume I am a sahm and have never asked about what I did before. My neighbours have never asked, but I’ve only lived here for a couple of years and don’t know them very well.

This generation yes I would say it’s not the norm due to cost of living but it was common for women of older generations not to work at all after they got married especially when they had children. MIL says that not working and having her own independence is one of her biggest regrets as it resulted in a lot of inequality in their relationship.

I don't know many people who have NEVER worked full time.

I was unusual in that I worked only a four, then three, day week for my entire 30s despite not having children or health issues. I just had more fun things I wanted to do than work and working part-time provided enough money for me (I'm not very materialistic).

I've 37 and I have worked more years part time than full time...I did uni, volunteering, 2 year MA (mix of full and pt work), part time job that became full time, had DS1 at 28, went on mat leave then went back pt for a bit, Did MSC (just studied for most of it), worked for a bit, got pg and ended up on sick leave, had DS2 (finally finished MSC), went back for a bit pt time, got a promotion so went up to ft for a bit, now I am back to pt.

In my case the working pt was always due to either childcare or studying, apart from for 1 year where I changed jobs but the new job I wanted was offered as pt contract.

Yes and those I know earn more than their partners who work full time, they have only ever worked part time but they have always earned full time wages on part time hours they are physios, osteopaths, swim teachers, swimming coaches, gymnastics coaches, nail artists, wedding planners, children’s entertainers.

Sure, as you say, it depends on circumstances. I know people who have never worked at all.
In the part time category in my experience it is women who married very young and had children young - my bestie went straight from her family gone to her married home and had a baby almost immediately and worked part time up to that point and after. The latter is they have either done as above without ever working or have independent means. Some start doing charity or community work once the children are older (or if they don’t have any), which is generally part time and not paid.
I imagine it is more unusual for people under 40 to have never worked at least full time for some part of their life, and my university aged DD couldn’t ever imagine not working. I know only one man who had a trust fund and never worked but dabbled in this or that (mostly as a musician either very few paid gigs).

I work In a medium size warehouse. Been there 8 years. There are quite a lot of younger folk work four hours or even 6. A couple have dogs they need to take out, childcare, mental health health, god knows.

It can easily play out like that for a woman who has children young and then has more children years later. Thinking of my own mother here.

If a man had only ever worked part time that would be very unusual I think

Yeah it is a bit unusual for someone to be part time in their 30s (with no children,) but it's a wee bit more common than a few years ago (pre mid 2010s.) I know several young-ish people (in their 30s,) who do 26-30 hours a week. (Have been doing this since their early 30s/pretty much since the pandemic.)

They are professionals, with a university degree, and in well paid careers, but just CBA to be at work all the time. One does 3 days, the others do 4. As I said, 26-30 hours a week.

They're on such good salaries that they get enough to not have to work 45-50+ hours a week. I think people are absolute mugs if they're doing that many hours. (By choice!) It's not good for your health or wellbeing, and the employer never thanks you for it. 'Personal life and family first, work second' is the motto of some young well-educated professionals I know. (These are younger milennials.)

My newer neighbours probably think I don’t work, but I WFH and have done for 5 years now. If they see me in the day I’m dressed in leggings and a t shirt so it probably looks like I’m just hanging out at home

Not that unusual . I only ever worked for 6 months aged17/18 and never since (45 now) and people are always shocked at that

I have a friend who has never worked much since she was 21. Left work when she had kids and only started doing a bit of very part time work when the kids were mid teens and now they are grown up and flown the nest still only does very ad hoc/ seasonal gardening work. On her second bloke who is willing to support her and inherited money from late parents so doesn't need to. Claimed loads in tax credits when kids in education.

A relative of mines hasn’t worked since 1967. She retired upon marriage. Complains about immigrants coming over to use the NHS who haven’t paid their share. I have no words 🙊

I work in benefits for older people and am always surprised by the number of women retiring now with very low state pensions indicating that they have barely worked. You tend to think that even if they gave up work when their kids were young they would have returned or started working in later life but it appears not ! These are the first to complaining about " foreigners getting everything paid for" and pension credit top up not being enough yet have barely paid anything in themselves. I'm not talking about the very elderly when it was commonplace to have larger familes and for women to stay home, these are those born in the fifties.

To have never worked full-time? Of course it’s unusual if you have children. What a strange thing to say. People who work part time for child care reasons work full time before and after that period usually.

Hmm I don’t think so. Most of the women I know in their 30s have worked part time for at least the last 10 years and before that would have only been out of uni for a few years. So majority of their working life part time. Most of the women I know, though, are parents, which is a massive factor.
Personally I worked 2 part time jobs but equalling full time in my early 20s, and haven’t worked full time since I was probably 23. Had first child at 25 and gave up work completely for 8/9 years. My best friend has just turned 40 and just gone back to full time work but she’s the only one of my friends who is a parent who works full time, and she finds it tough!
I have other friends who work full time but they’re not parents, crucially!

The cognitive dissonance is astonishing. The average 80 year old costs the NHS over £8k a year but it’s the young ones draining the country who are the problem apparently.

Lots of women who got to have families and look after them ft and then didn’t work when the kids grew up, because they didn’t need the money, and frankly, the luxury for the family of having mom around to organise things was too much too give up.
know some younger people now who only do pt because they just haven’t gotten jobs despite having degrees etc, it’s very competitive now to get jobs and the rat race definitely doesn’t suit everybody.

Not if you had them when you were young…

Out of my friendship group only 1 that I can think of went back to work full time after having children, but most were full time before this (including me). This friend has now retired at 60. (We are all late 40’s and 50’s).

All of my friends now either don’t work (supported by rich husbands), work in small part time local jobs 2-3 days a week (not professional, not using their qualifications), or are still part time in a professional role despite having grown up children (this is me but I do have one child still in yr 7).

All are very well off and don’t need to work more, and don’t claim off the state as most of their partners are high earners.

I do get envious of those who don’t work but I suppose I’m lucky to be part time.

I only worked full time until I was 22, then had my first child, second one at 28. Unfortunately we were then rocked with serious Ill health of DS2 through his primary years so I didn’t work for years. Now mid 40’s and work 2.5 days a week. Don’t anticipate I’ll ever work full time unless our circumstances change

I'm mid 40s and only worked full time for 5 years. Since having kids I've worked part time then self employed (approx 30 hours spread over the week). Not that far off all the kids being grown up but I have no plans to look for full time work, I enjoy my self employed freedom too much.

I think its less unusual with younger generations these days but still pretty unusual for an older person to have never worked full time.
Ive only worked full time for about 8yrs and have been part time ever since (am now over 50). No kids or partner.....just prefer my free time to money!😀