Essential Work and Emergency Childcare: Identifying Gender Differences in COVID-19 Effects on Labour Demand and Supply

• DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3727684
• Publication Date: 2020-11-12T04:17:24Z
• Authors: Jordy Meekes; Wolter Hassink; Guyonne R.J. Kalb
• Keywords: Labour supply; 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak; Labor demand

We examine whether the COVID-19 crisis affects women and men differently in terms of employment, working hours hourly wages outcomes, effects are demand or supply driven. impacts studied using administrative data on all Dutch employees up to 30 June 2020, focussing national lockdown emergency childcare for essential workers Netherlands. First, we find that impact is much larger non-essential than workers. Although, average, equally affected, female more affected male Second, partnered individuals with young children by as others, irrespective gender spousal employment. Third, single-parent experience relatively large negative labour effects, suggesting was not sufficient this group. However, overall, appear important effects.