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Work from home and daily time allocations: evidence from the coronavirus pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Brandon J. Restrepo

    (Food Economics Division)

  • Eliana Zeballos

    (Food Economics Division)

Abstract

The emergence and spread of the novel coronavirus in the U.S. were quickly followed by a widespread expansion in remote work eligibility, which, in turn, led to necessary alignments between pre-existing household management schedules and new home-based work schedules for many of those who worked from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We use 24-hour time diary data from the 2010–2020 American Time Use Survey to examine how major daily time allocations of those who WFH changed during the pandemic compared with those who worked away from home (WAFH). Before the pandemic, we find that those who WFH spent significantly less time working, commuting to work, grooming, and eating away from home, but significantly more time sleeping, socializing, relaxing, doing housework, caring for children, shopping, preparing food, and eating at home. During the pandemic, we find generally small and statistically insignificant changes in the time allocations of those who WAFH, but several large and significant changes in uses of time for those who WFH. A noteworthy intra-pandemic increase was in time devoted to labor market work by those who WFH, which almost halved the pre-pandemic WAFH-WFH difference. Results also show large and significant reductions in time devoted to other activities during the pandemic, including work-related travel, socializing, doing housework, shopping, shopping-related travel, and eating away from home. The intra-pandemic redistribution of time by those who WFH may have health and quality-of-life implications that should be assessed as the pandemic subsides and WFH becomes a more common feature of post-pandemic life.

Suggested Citation

  • Brandon J. Restrepo & Eliana Zeballos, 2022. "Work from home and daily time allocations: evidence from the coronavirus pandemic," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 735-758, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:20:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11150-022-09614-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11150-022-09614-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Wu, Hongyue & Chang, Yuan & Chen, Yunfeng, 2024. "Greenhouse gas emissions under work from home vs. office: An activity-based individual-level accounting model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 353(PB).
    2. Amelia M. Biehl & Jill Hayter & Brian Hill, 2024. "Remote work and the effects on secondary childcare," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 71(4), pages 813-830, December.
    3. Okrent, Abigail & Zeballos, Eliana, 2022. "COVID-19 Working Paper: Consumer Food Spending Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic," USDA Miscellaneous 333545, United States Department of Agriculture.
    4. Restrepo, Brandon J. & Zeballos, Eliana, 2024. "Who Shops for Groceries Online?," Economic Research Report 346028, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    5. José Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & Jorge Velilla, 2024. "Home-based work, time allocations, and subjective well-being: gender differences in the United Kingdom," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 51(1), pages 1-33, February.
    6. Sabrina Wulff Pabilonia & Victoria Vernon, 2023. "Who is doing the chores and childcare in dual-earner couples during the COVID-19 era of working from home?," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 519-565, June.
    7. Benjamin Cowan, 2024. "Time use, college attainment, and the working-from-home revolution," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(3), pages 1-27, September.
    8. Elsner, Benjamin & Jindal, Manvi & Mascherini, Massimiliano & Nivakoski, Sanna, 2024. "Gender Gaps in Time Use: Pan-European Evidence from School Closures during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IZA Discussion Papers 17151, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Brandon J. Restrepo & Eliana Zeballos, 2023. "Working from Home and Emotional Well-Being during Major Daily Activities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-13, February.

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