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. 2021 Apr;35(2):194-205.
doi: 10.1177/08912432211001301. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

GENDER, PARENTING, AND THE RISE OF REMOTE WORK DURING THE PANDEMIC: Implications for Domestic Inequality in the United States

Allison Dunatchik  1 , Kathleen Gerson  2 , Jennifer Glass  3 , Jerry A Jacobs  1 , Haley Stritzel  3
Affiliations

GENDER, PARENTING, AND THE RISE OF REMOTE WORK DURING THE PANDEMIC: Implications for Domestic Inequality in the United States

Allison Dunatchik et al. Gend Soc. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

We examine how the shift to remote work altered responsibilities for domestic labor among partnered couples and single parents. The study draws on data from a nationally representative survey of 2,200 US adults, including 478 partnered parents and 151 single parents, in April 2020. The closing of schools and child care centers significantly increased demands on working parents in the United States, and in many circumstances reinforced an unequal domestic division of labor.

Keywords: COVID-19; Child care; Gender inequality; Housework; Remote employment.

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Figures

FIGURE 1:
FIGURE 1:. Respondents’ Time Spent on (A) Housework, (B) Child Care, and (C) Children’s Home Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic Compared with before the Pandemic
NOTE: N = 336 partnered working parents. *Gender differences are statistically significant at p <0.05.
FIGURE 2:
FIGURE 2:. Respondents Feel (A) Primarily Responsible for Child Care in Household, and (B) “Some” or “A Lot” of Pressure Regarding Children’s Home Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic Compared with before the Pandemic
NOTE: N = 336 partnered working parents. *Gender differences are statistically significant at p <0.05.
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