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The impact of COVID-19 in the allocation of time within couples. Evidence for Argentina

Author

Listed:
  • Victoria Costoya

    (CEDH-Universidad de San Andres)

  • Lucía Echeverría

    (CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata and CEDH-Universidad de San Andrés, CEDH-Universidad de San Andres)

  • María Edo

    (CEDH-Universidad de San Andres)

  • Ana Rocha

    (CEDH-Universidad de San Andres)

  • Agustina Thailinger

    (CEDH-Universidad de San Andres)

Abstract

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown policies on gender gaps remains unclear. While some studies point to equalizing factors (domestic work becomes more visible, flexible remote work arrangements expand) others highlight the potentially inequitable effects associated to women increasing their already disproportionate burden regarding housework and childcare. This paper provides evidence for Argentina. Based on a novel survey, we track changes in time allocation patterns of couples, before and during lockdown. Our results indicate that on average men allocate more time to paid work and less time to unpaid work (housework, childcare, educational support) than women. These within-couple gender gaps suffered opposite changes during lockdown: while the former reduces, the latter increases. However, given the fact that changes in paid work may be driven by more external forces linked to the labor market while modifications in unpaid work allocation probably reflect results of bargaining processes within couples, the latter may probably have longer lasting consequences.

Suggested Citation

  • Victoria Costoya & Lucía Echeverría & María Edo & Ana Rocha & Agustina Thailinger, 2020. "The impact of COVID-19 in the allocation of time within couples. Evidence for Argentina," Working Papers 145, Universidad de San Andres, Departamento de Economia, revised Aug 2020.
    • Handle: RePEc:sad:wpaper:145
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    File URL: https://webacademicos.udesa.edu.ar/pub/econ/doc145.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Florencia Amábile & Marisa Bucheli & Cecilia González & Cecilia Lara, 2021. "Gender differences in domestic work during COVID19 in Uruguay," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 1221, Department of Economics - dECON.
    2. María del Pilar Toyos, 2022. "Cierre de escuelas en pandemia y brechas de género en Argentina: ¿madres más vulnerables?," Asociación Argentina de Economía Política: Working Papers 4603, Asociación Argentina de Economía Política.
    3. Titan Alon & Matthias Doepke & Jane Olmstead-Rumsey, 2020. "This Time It's Different: The Role of Women's Employment in a Pandemic Recession," Working Papers 2020-057, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    4. Serena Clark & Amy McGrane & Neasa Boyle & Natasha Joksimovic & Lydia Burke & Nicole Rock & Katriona O’ Sullivan, 2021. "“You’re a teacher you’re a mother, you’re a worker”: Gender inequality during COVID‐19 in Ireland," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 1352-1362, July.
    5. Tertilt, Michèle & Doepke, Matthias & Olmstead-Rumsey, Jane, 2020. "This Time It’s Different: The Role of Women’s Employment in a Pandemic Recession," CEPR Discussion Papers 15149, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    time allocation; unpaid work; within-couple gender gaps; COVID19;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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