The hidden cost: How childcare increased gender disparities in Colombia's labor market after the pandemic

This paper analyzes the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market in Colombia, with a focus on the effect of the closure of schools and care centers. Using an event study approach, the research explores differences in pandemic effects on labor market indicators between households...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Agudelo Torres, Natalia Alejandra
Tipo de recurso: tesis de maestría
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:Colombia
Institución:Universidad de los Andes
Repositorio:Séneca: repositorio Uniandes
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.uniandes.edu.co:1992/69273
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/1992/69273
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Gender gap
COVID-19
Childcare demand
Labor force participation
Economía
Descripción
Sumario:This paper analyzes the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market in Colombia, with a focus on the effect of the closure of schools and care centers. Using an event study approach, the research explores differences in pandemic effects on labor market indicators between households with high childcare demand and those with less and the differential effects on female and male household heads or spouses. Results suggest that women in treated households experienced significant reductions in their labor force participation rate until the first quarter of 2021, and increases in the hours dedicated to childcare. Whereas men in the same type of household were not affected. The persistence of these effects indicates that limited access to care centers and schools disproportionately affected women, even within the most affected households. These results shed light on the gendered impacts of the pandemic and the role of having a child in labor decisions and can inform policies aimed at reducing the gender gap in the labor market in the face of economic shocks.