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Work, care and gender during the COVID-19 crisis

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  • Hupkau, Claudia
  • Petrongolo, Barbara

Abstract

We explore the effects of the COVID-19 crisis and the associated restrictions to economic activity on paid and unpaid work for men and women in the United Kingdom. Using data from the COVID-19 supplement of Understanding Society, we find evidence that labour market outcomes of men and women were roughly equally affected at the extensive margin, as measured by the incidence of job loss or furloughing. But, if anything, women suffered smaller losses at the intensive margin, experiencing slightly smaller changes in hours and earnings. Within the household, women provided on average a larger share of increased childcare needs, but in an important share of households fathers became the primary childcare providers. These distributional consequences of the pandemic may be important to understand its inequality legacy over the longer term.

Suggested Citation

  • Hupkau, Claudia & Petrongolo, Barbara, 2020. "Work, care and gender during the COVID-19 crisis," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 107829, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:107829
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/107829/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    childcare; Covid-19; gender gaps; time use; coronavirus;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General

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