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Time use, college attainment, and the working-from-home revolution

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  • Benjamin Cowan

    (Washington State University
    NBER)

Abstract

I demonstrate that the profound change in working from home (WFH) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic is concentrated among individuals with college degrees. Relative to 2015–2019, the number of minutes worked from home on “post-pandemic” (August 2021–December 2022) weekdays increased by 78 min for college graduates; for non-graduates, the increase was 22 min. The share of work done at home (for those who worked at all) increased by 22% for graduates and 7% for non-graduates. I examine how time-use patterns change for college graduates relative to non-graduates over the same period. Average minutes worked changed little for either group. Daily time spent traveling (e.g., commuting) fell by 21 min for college graduates and 6 min for non-graduates. College graduates experience a relative shift from eating out to eating at home, an increase in free time, and an increase in time spent with children, with the latter effect concentrated among fathers. Thus, while the gender gap in childcare among college graduates may be diminished by the WFH revolution, gaps in children’s outcomes by parents’ college attainment may be exacerbated by it.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:37:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s00148-024-01036-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s00148-024-01036-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Working from home; Remote work; College; Time use; Parental investment; Gender gap;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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