On Feb 8, 3:22*pm, djc wrote:
On 07/02/12 18:25, Cynic wrote:

The law regarding maternity leave has resulted in many employers being
even more reluctant that they used to be to employ women between
certain ages.

Not that I think it would be a bad thing, from a sociological
perspective, to return to the old-fashioned system of having the
husband as the breadwinner and the wife staying at home taking care of
the domestic duties. *Unfortunately the economy has changed to make it
impossible for a great proportion of families to be able to live on a
single income.

And that social change has probably contributed to the economic change.
If a two income household can outbid a single income household when it
comes to housing costs then the sort of ever-rising house prices we have
become all too accustomed in 2 or 3 generations is no surprise.

When I bought my flat a quarter of a century all my neighbours were, as
myself, singles buying on a mortgage. Now half are rented by couples and
sharers.

--
djc

Families never expected to own TVs, cars, telephones, refrigerators
etc back then.
The wimmin were sent out when these became neccesities.

Around1970 I bough tmy first house. £400. End terrace slum but I
fixed it up with a grant from the council.
Six years later sold it for £7000.
Now that was a housing bubble!