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Schooling and Parental Labor Supply: Evidence from COVID-19 School Closures in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes
  • Miriam Marcén
  • Marina Morales
  • Almudena Sevilla

Abstract

This article examines changes in parental labor supply in response to the unanticipated closure of schools following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The authors collect detailed daily information on school closures at the school-district level, which they merge to individual-level data on labor supply and sociodemographic characteristics from the monthly Current Population Survey spanning from January 2019 through May 2020. Using a difference-in-differences estimation approach, the authors find evidence of non-negligible labor supply reductions. Having a partner at home helped offset the negative effect of school closures, particularly for maternal employment, although respondents’ job traits played a more significant role in shaping labor supply responses to school closures. Overall, the labor supply impacts of school closures prove robust to identification checks and to controlling for other coexistent social distancing measures. In addition, these early school closures seem to have had a long-lasting negative impact on parental labor supply.

Suggested Citation

  • Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes & Miriam Marcén & Marina Morales & Almudena Sevilla, 2023. "Schooling and Parental Labor Supply: Evidence from COVID-19 School Closures in the United States," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 76(1), pages 56-85, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:76:y:2023:i:1:p:56-85
    DOI: 10.1177/00197939221099184
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    Cited by:

    1. Pierre E Biscaye & Dennis Egger & Utz J. Pape, 2025. "Adolescent Schooling and Adult Labor Supply: Evidence from COVID-19 School Closures and Reopenings in Kenya," Post-Print hal-05213752, HAL.
    2. Eiji Yamamura & Fumio Ohtake, 2026. "Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Altered the Traditional View about Women's Active Work?," Papers 2603.09637, arXiv.org.
    3. Livia Alfonsi & Mary Namubiru & Sara Spaziani, 2024. "Gender gaps: back and here to stay? Evidence from skilled Ugandan workers during COVID-19," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 999-1046, September.
    4. Christoph Müller, 2024. "The COVID-19 pandemic and firms’ E-learning use: implications for inequality in training opportunities," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 58(1), pages 1-15, December.
    5. Maria Paola & Salvatore Lattanzio, 2025. "Parental labor market penalties during two years of COVID-19," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 327-355, March.
    6. Schroeter, Sofia & Lalive, Rafael & Karunanethy, Kalaivani, 2024. "School Closures and Parental Labor Supply: Differential Effects of Anticipated and Unanticipated Closures," IZA Discussion Papers 17371, IZA Network @ LISER.
    7. Miriam Marcén & Marina Morales, 2025. "The gender gap in working from home after the onset of COVID-19," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1459-1486, December.
    8. Marcén, Miriam & Morales, Marina, 2025. "The post-COVID-19 gender gap in the division of household labor," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1563, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    9. 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, IZA Network @ LISER.
    10. Misty L. Heggeness & Ana Sofía León, 2025. "Heterogeneous effects of school reopenings on the labor supply of parents of young school-age children," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 551-587, June.
    11. Huanan Xu, 2025. "Labor Market Transitions Over the Business Cycle: Gender Differential in the United States from 2001 to 2020," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(2), pages 291-325, April.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

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