This works investigates parental employment patterns in Great Britain as well as in eastern and western Germany, and their changes over time. First, the study analyses maternal labour market behavior with a specific focus on differences by partnership status during the 1990s and 2000s. In a second part, fathers' use of parental leave in Germany is investigated. The analyses show that social policies set specific incentives and disincentives that influence mothers' and fathers' employment behavior.
