Mothers were more likely to cut back hours during the early months of the pandemic a study shows.
Under normal conditions, it’s tough to raise a family when both parents work full time. During the pandemic, it has become a whole lot harder. So much so that it’s driving mothers to scale back their employment. New research indicates that mothers cut their work hours four to five times more than fathers in the first few months of the shutdown, most likely to have more time to care for their kids.
Researchers turned to the U.S. Current Population Survey to examine changes in mothers’ and fathers’ work hours from February through April of this year. In February life was still progressing normally, but by April the country was mostly shut down due to Covid-19. They found that mothers with young children reduced their work hours four to five times more than fathers during this period. This increased the gender gap in work hours by 20 to 50%. The study was published in Gender, Work and Organization.
“Our findings indicate mothers are bearing the brunt of the pandemic and may face long-term employment penalties as a consequence,” said Caitlyn Collins, a professor at Washington University and co-author of the study.
Although the current study examined the gender differences in the adjustment of work hours, it will likely translate into a gender gap in dollars down the road for these women. The study authors write, “We may see that mothers are able to increase their work time when children return to daycare and schools reopen. We are cautious about this optimism as employers will be looking for ways to save money and it may be at the expense of mothers who have already weakened their labor market attachment.”
Mothers have always reported spending more hours on child care than fathers, and that has continued throughout the pandemic. According to a New York Times survey, 70% of women say they’re fully or mostly responsible for housework during the virus lockdown, and 66% say the same for child care. This gender division is similar to what has been reported in more typical times.
There’s also a gender divide in the perceptions of which parent is contributing more. The Times survey found that 20% of men say they are fully or mostly responsible for housework and childcare during lockdown, but only a paltry 2% of women agree. Is it possible that men are actually assuming a bigger role, and women just don’t notice? Research suggests that’s not the case.
One study that used a daily diary methodology, in which participants report their activities throughout the day found that men are likely to overestimate the amount they do. After the birth of a child, both parents perceived that their daily workload increased by four hours. However, when the same parents completed diaries of their daily activities, researchers found the birth of a new child adds three hours of additional work for mothers and about 4o minutes for fathers.
With the shuttering of childcare facilities and schools, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to everything that has to be done. So why are women more likely to cut back hours? The study authors suggest several possible causes. The work-hour reductions could be a consequence of the moms assuming a larger share of the domestic work; it could be that employers’ are making greater time demands on fathers than mothers, or perhaps in times of crisis families tend to revert to more traditional gender roles in the division of labor.
There is currently no end in sight for some, as several of the nation’s largest school districts have announced that they will resume online instruction in the fall. The longer the virus rages on, the more women’s careers will likely suffer consequences.
