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A gendered pandemic: Childcare, homeschooling, and parents' employment during COVID‐19

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  • Richard J. Petts
  • Daniel L. Carlson
  • Joanna R. Pepin

Abstract

The COVID‐19 pandemic has dramatically affected employment, particularly for mothers. Many believe that the loss of childcare and homeschooling requirements are key contributors to this trend, but previous work has been unable to test these hypotheses due to data limitations. This study uses novel data from 989 partnered, US parents to empirically examine whether the loss of childcare and new homeschooling demands are associated with employment outcomes early in the pandemic. We also consider whether the division of childcare prior to the pandemic is associated with parents' employment. For parents with young children, the loss of full‐time childcare was associated with an increased risk of unemployment for mothers but not fathers. Yet, father involvement in childcare substantially buffered against negative employment outcomes for mothers of young children. For parents with school‐age children, participation in homeschooling was associated with adverse employment outcomes for mothers but not fathers. Overall, this study provides empirical support for the current discourse on gender differences in employment during the pandemic and also highlights the role fathers can play in buffering against reduced labor force participation among mothers.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard J. Petts & Daniel L. Carlson & Joanna R. Pepin, 2021. "A gendered pandemic: Childcare, homeschooling, and parents' employment during COVID‐19," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(S2), pages 515-534, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:28:y:2021:i:s2:p:515-534
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12614
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    1. Nurgun Kul Parlak & Ayse Nur Ciftci, 2022. "Pandeminin Kayit Disi Istihdami Dislama Etkisi: Turkiye’de Formel-Enformel Emek Piyasalarindaki Ayrisma," Journal of Social Policy Conferences, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 0(82), pages 93-135, June.
    2. Claudia Senik & Andrew E. Clark & Conchita D’Ambrosio & Anthony Lepinteur & Carsten Schröder, 2024. "Teleworking and life satisfaction during COVID-19: the importance of family structure," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(1), pages 1-24, March.
    3. Daniel L. Carlson & Skye McPherson & Richard J. Petts, 2024. "Remote Work, Gender Ideologies, and Fathers’ Participation in Childcare during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-21, March.
    4. Braden Leap & Kimberly Kelly & Marybeth C. Stalp, 2022. "Choreographing social reproduction: Making personal protective equipment and gender during a neoliberal pandemic," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 758-777, May.
    5. Geoffrey M. Ducanes & Vincent Jerald R. Ramos, 2023. "COVID-19 Lockdowns and Female Employment: Evidence from the Philippines," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 883-899, December.
    6. Jennifer C. Davis & Eric Ping Hung Li & Mary Stewart Butterfield & Gino A. DiLabio & Nithi Santhagunam & Barbara Marcolin, 2022. "Are we failing female and racialized academics? A Canadian national survey examining the impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on tenure and tenure‐track faculty," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 703-722, May.
    7. Kwon, Sarah Jiyoon, 2023. "Grandparents and Parental Labor Supply during COVID-19 Pandemic," OSF Preprints jxyvn, Center for Open Science.
    8. Ashley B. LeBaron-Black & Jeremy B. Yorgason & Melissa A. Curran & Matthew T. Saxey & Rachel M. Okamoto, 2022. "The ABC-X’s of Stress among U.S. Emerging Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Relationship Quality, Financial Distress, and Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-16, October.
    9. Andrew Taeho Kim & Matt Erickson & Yurong Zhang & ChangHwan Kim, 2022. "Who is the “She” in the Pandemic “She-Cession”? Variation in COVID-19 Labor Market Outcomes by Gender and Family Status," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 1325-1358, June.
    10. Daniel L. Carlson & Richard J. Petts, 2022. "US Parents’ Domestic Labor During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(6), pages 2393-2418, December.
    11. Kozhaya, Mireille, 2022. "The double burden: The impact of school closures on labor force participation of mothers," Ruhr Economic Papers 956, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.

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