Full Citation

Title: Couples' changing work patterns in the United Kingdom and the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2021

ISBN:

ISSN: 1468-0432

DOI: 10.1111/GWAO.12661

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Abstract: Going beyond a focus on individual-level employment outcomes, we investigate couples' changing work patterns in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzing longitudinal panels of 2186 couples from the Understanding Society COVID-19 Survey (UK) and 2718 couples from the Current Population Survey (US), we assess whether the pandemic has elevated the importance of human capital vis-à-vis traditional gender specialization in shaping couples' work patterns. The UK witnessed a notable increase in sole-worker families with the better-educated partner working, irrespective of gender. The impact of the pandemic was similar but weaker in the US. In both countries, couples at the bottom 25% of the prepandemic family income distribution experienced the greatest increase in neither partner working but the least growth in sole-worker arrangements. Through a couple-level analysis of changing employment patterns, this study highlights the importance of human capital in shaping couples' paid-work organization during the pandemic, and it reveals the socioeconomic gradient in such organization.

Url: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gwao.12661

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Authors: Qian, Yue; Hu, Yang

Periodical (Full): Gender, Work & Organization

Issue: S2

Volume: 28

Pages: 535-553

Data Collections: IPUMS CPS

Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Work, Family, and Time

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