Table 3

Proportion with socio-emotional difficulties at age 5 years by maternal employment in infancy and cumulative maternal employment in the early years separately for boys and girls

Maternal employment sweep 1	N	% Total difficulties	Maternal employment sweeps 1, 2 & 3	N	% Total difficulties
Boys	6517	9.3*		5839	9.3*
Full-time paid work	853	5.9	Paid work all three sweeps	2393	6.4
Part-time paid work	2721	7.7	Paid work at two sweeps	960	7.3
No paid work	2943	11.7	Paid work at one sweep	1009	10.1
			No paid work at any sweep	1477	14.9
Girls	6249	5.8*		5608	5.8*
Full-time paid work	807	2.2	Paid work all three sweeps	2348	2.4
Part-time paid work	2668	3.6	Paid work at two sweeps	976	4.7
No paid work	2774	8.9	Paid work at one sweep	841	5.9
			No paid at work any sweep	1443	11.9

*indicates statistical significance of the overall relationship between maternal employment and socioemotional difficulties at p<0.01.