COVID-19 She-Cession: The Employment Penalty of Taking Care of Young Children
Electronic Access:
Free Download. Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file
Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.
Summary:
The COVID-19 outbreak and the measures to contain the virus have caused severe disruptions to labor supply and demand worldwide. Understanding who is bearing the burden of the crisis and what drives it is crucial for designing policies going forward. Using the U.S. monthly Current Population Survey data, this paper analyzes differences in employment responses between men and women. The main finding is that less educated women with young children were the most adversely affected during the first nine months of the crisis.The loss of employment of women with young children due to the burden of additional childcare is estimated to account for 45 percent of the increase in the employment gender gap, and to reduce total output by 0.36 percent between April and November 2020.
Series:
Working Paper No. 2021/058
Subject:
Education Employment Gender Gender inequality Labor Unemployment Women
Frequency:
regular
English
Publication Date:
March 4, 2021
ISBN/ISSN:
9781513571157/1018-5941
Stock No:
WPIEA2021058
Pages:
33
Please address any questions about this title to publications@imf.org