A study from Stockholm University looked at how migrant mothers in Sweden use parental leave. Turns out, mothers who took shorter leaves were more likely to work for money or go back to school. The study shows that some mothers skip parental leave altogether, while others take longer breaks.

Interestingly, mothers born in Sweden who had kids abroad and moms from Syria, Somalia, and Thailand often took a good amount of parental leave. But surprisingly, the study found that whether or not they used parental leave didn’t have a big impact on whether they worked later on.

Traditional view

“Our study challenges the traditional view of parental leave among immigrant mothers,” the researchers explain. “We found that part-time parental leave, contrary to what one might expect, actually fosters better integration into the labor market and educational pursuits, rather than hindering it.”

This discovery highlights how flexible parental leave policies can help with the integration of migrant mothers. According to the authors, taking short breaks from work doesn’t necessarily make it harder to find a job later on. In fact, choosing part-time parental leave might provide immigrant mothers with additional ways to integrate, like getting essential support and making contacts—especially if they use this time for training or learning the language.

“This research not only challenges existing perceptions but also opens new avenues for policy development, ensuring that Sweden’s family policies align with the diverse needs of its changing population,” the researchers conclude.