This article outlines the changes that occurred in employment between 2004 and 2009 and reviews the links that households established with the labour market. An increase in the number of jobs registered with the social security system was one of the key features of the period. Moreover, half of the rise in the observed employment rate represented jobs obtained by household members other than heads of household. The increase in protected employment also benefited social sectors that have traditionally been neglected, although there are factors that restrict the access of certain population groups to such jobs. Another research finding is that if the head of the household has a protected job, other household members have better chances of gaining a similar job themselves.