Malta seeing low fertility rate, steep increase in working women

Maltese society is seeing a low fertility rate and a sharp rise in the number of women who are working, a parliamentary committee has been told. The subject was discussed at a meeting of the Family Affairs Committee in the context of a discussion on priorities in the work-life balance. The Director of the University Centre for Family Studies, Prof. Angela Abela, said that a silent revolution is taking place in Malta.  Although only 40 per cent of   women in Malta are in employment, the pattern is changing radically according to different age groups.   The female work participation rate for the 25 to 29 years group had increased by 14 per cent from 56 per cent of the female working population in 2001 to 70 per cent in 2010.  This increase was the steepest in all EU member states over the same period, meaning that the country was shifting from a traditional society to one of working couples. The increase in female work participation was also much in evidence in the 30 to 34 year groups from 49 to 60 per cent and among the 35 to 39 year group from 27 to 50 per cent.  The statistics, she said, were the result of research made by 39 members of diverse professions.  The research also...