[Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 is hitting most economies as hard as the deepest recessions, but given the exceptional nature of this crisis, the distribution of jobs and workers affected is potentially different from previous recessions. The Great Recession, as well as other previous downturns, tended to more severely affect male-dominated industries such as construction and manufacturing. As the participation of men and women is different across sectors, the labour market impact of COVID-19 may differ across genders. In this paper, the authors combine evidence on jobs performed by men an... Show more
[Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 is hitting most economies as hard as the deepest recessions, but given the exceptional nature of this crisis, the distribution of jobs and workers affected is potentially different from previous recessions. The Great Recession, as well as other previous downturns, tended to more severely affect male-dominated industries such as construction and manufacturing. As the participation of men and women is different across sectors, the labour market impact of COVID-19 may differ across genders. In this paper, the authors combine evidence on jobs performed by men and women in the UK and childcare time of mothers and father to discuss potential impacts on the crisis on gender inequalities. They also consider the possibility of long run consequences if these impacts persist beyond the crisis.
The COVID-19 crisis has especially hit service sectors with frequent social interactions, in which women are over-represented. At the same time, if not directly subject to the lock-down, women are more likely to hold jobs that can be performed from home. Survey evidence for the UK shows that women are more likely to report job losses than men during COVID-19, suggesting that remote work opportunities only partially offset the differential exposure of men and women to the lockdown. Following the closure of nurseries and schools, women are also likely to take over a larger share of increased childcare needs. However, in about 20 per cent of households, in which women work in critical sectors and men stay at home, one would expect a reversal of usual childcare gaps, with potential consequences on the evolution of gender roles and comparative advantages. Furthermore, valuable lessons may be learned from current remote working patterns, possibly feeding into more flexible working solutions for the long-run.
Edited excerpts from publication and publisher's website.
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