New study finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated gender gaps in households, leaving working mothers reverting to traditional views of who does what at home.
July 6, 2020, 11 am EDT
By Sarah Chu
We’re all in this together, right? Evidence shows that in most U.S. households, that’s not the case.
Compared to previous recessions, where men’s employment is significantly more impacted than women, the coronavirus pandemic has had a large impact on industries with high shares of female employment, such as retail, beauty, and education. Furthermore, across the county — and the world — indefinite school and day-care closures have increased childcare needs. In most cases, this dramatic need for childcare rests on working mothers.
Northwestern University economists, Matthias Doepke and Jane Olmstead-Rumsey, University of California San Diego economist Titan M. Alon, and University of Mannheim economist Michèle Tertilt, suggest that the disproportionate allocation to unpaid domestic labor (cooking, cleaning, and child-care) will have a negative effect on women and their employment opportunities.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, previous findings have expressed similar concerns of gender inequality. Gender norms play an important role in explaining these vast differences, providing a template for how people “should” behave based on their gender. Despite progressive strides in the feminist movement, traditional gender stereotypes of the stay-at-home mother and the breadwinner father remain prevalent among 30 percent of U.S. households.
The study conducted includes American Time-Use data, which measures the amount of time people spend doing various activities. The authors quantify the gender gap as the difference in how much more time a woman spends on housework activities compared to her partner. Though the complete results have yet to be published, the initial findings are stark: among all married couples with children, working mothers spend 13 hours on childcare compared to her partner’s 7-hour contribution. For families with young children, women’s share is even higher. The gender gap will most certainly widen existing disparities during the pandemic, regressing toward the same gender stereotypes that have imprisoned women for centuries. In the absence of flexible work arrangements, some women may have to leave the workforce entirely, posing a severe setback for women in terms of career progression and earning potential.
These numbers are even more frightening for single-mothers, many of whom are the most economically vulnerable. If the COVID-19 lockdown persists well into the future, so that 15.7 million single-mothers cannot work, then an astounding 21 percent of all children are at risk of living in poverty. Even with the expansive efforts from Congress to prevent child hunger, millions of families are left empty-handed.
Despite the grim state of the economy, the authors’ provide two pieces of solace: one, some firms are permanently switching to remote work, which will provide greater flexibility for women with young children. Second, based on existing evidence on persistent changes to gender norms, this pandemic may also impact social norms. For instance, most mothers will adopt a larger share of childcare. Medical professionals – many of whom are nurses -- are also women. It is hopeful children will adopt more equitable social norms by seeing them fighting on the on the frontlines.
While recognizing the potential long-term benefits from the coronavirus pandemic, it is important to acknowledge the immediate consequences of the gaping gender gap women face today. Without providing too many details, the authors propose a handful of policy implications that alleviate some of the economic distresses imposed by the novel virus. Namely, a government subsidy for workers who need to provide childcare, expanding the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid, loosening the eligibility restrictions on the CARES Act, and extending unemployment benefits for caregivers. Aggressive government provision like the ones mentioned is not only important, but necessary to keep working-class Americans afloat.
The COVID-19 crisis has uncovered not only America’s deeply rooted racial disparities, but also the vast gender inequities in our nation. But, the unusual standstill has also provided us with moments of clarity, time for reflection, and opportunity for change. If women, especially mothers, are left with bearing the brunt of the pandemic, Congress needs to pass another emergency bill to provide aid for distressed families, along with gender-based policies that address the persistent economic divides. Before the novel virus spread, a woman made 81 cents for every dollar earned by a man of equal qualifications. The lack of swift government interaction now will only worsen this divide for years to come, unless Congress recognizes these inequities. By leveling the playing field for all genders, we give working families a fighting chance.