203and their social and family policies. So what does it mean that some pat-
terns of 20-year-long co-residence trajectories are more or less frequent in
a specific country compared to others?
The Transition to parenthood type of trajectory (16%) is characterized
by a swift transition from the family of orientation to a family of procre-
ation separated by a short spell of solo living followed by an episode of
conjugal life. Several factors help explain why this type of trajectory is
more frequent in Switzerland (Quintini et al. 2007 ). First, the largely
institutionalized nature of the transition from school to work through the
dual system in this country makes erratic trajectories less likely. As a point
of interest, the dual system concerns about half of the students after the
end of compulsory education in Switzerland. It proposes a weekly com-
bination of academic and vocational training in specific schools and in
hiring companies respectively for three to four years. This allows for a
flexible monitoring of the match between young people’s aspirations and
employers’ expectations (Ganon 2005 ). Second, the low unemployment
rate in Switzerland^3 (1991: 1.7%, 2001: 2.5%) compared to Lithuania
(1991: 15.7%, 2001: 16.8%) and Portugal (1991: 3.9%, 2001: 4.0%)
also favours a stable entry on the labour market, a precondition for par-
enthood, in particular in Western countries (Bernardi et al. 2008 ; Mills
et al. 2011 ). The types Conjugality and Solo—characterized by childless-
ness—are more likely to be found in Switzerland and less so in Portugal.
Contrasting with the finding outlined above, this difference may be
traced back to the comparatively low coverage of formal supporting insti-
tutions in Switzerland, particularly in combination with women’s higher
educational levels (Neyer and Hoem 2008 ). According to Testa ( 2014 ),
in countries with high GDP, including Switzerland, the intention of hav-
ing a first child is lowest. However, Conjugality and Solo trajectories are
also related to a postponement of parenthood and the enjoyment of indi-
vidual autonomy, made possible thanks to good employment conditions
and therefore earlier accessible economic independence. Additionally,
there is a link between solo living and childlessness, especially for women
(Smith et al. 2005 ). According to Demey et al. ( 2013 ), solo living in mid-
life is an increasing trend that is mainly associated with partnership dis-
solution and gender. It is more likely among men who have never lived a
Linking Family Trajectories and Personal Networks