Gender Heterogeneity in the Effect of Telework on Labor Market Outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Jingbo Hou, Chen Liang, Pei Yu Chen, Bin Gu

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

With the massive COVID-19 lockdown, teleworkability, i.e., the feasibility of telework, plays an important role in determining whether workers can maintain productivity and keep their jobs. However, the impact of teleworkability is likely to be heterogeneous, varying by worker characteristics, such as gender and childcare constraints. This study examines the heterogeneous impact of teleworkability on labor market outcomes (including unemployment, work absence, and layoff). Using stay-at-home order as a measure of labor market disruption, we find that teleworkability offsets the increase in unemployment due to the disruption of COVID-19 by 20%, that in work absence by 28%, and that in layoff by 26%. Specifically, the positive effect of teleworkability is i) stronger for females than males; ii) stronger for females with kids than their male counterparts as well as those without kids. Our study contributes to the emerging literature on gender inequality by underscoring the nuanced impact of teleworkability.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 55th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2022
EditorsTung X. Bui
PublisherIEEE Computer Society
Pages594-603
Number of pages10
ISBN (Electronic)9780998133157
StatePublished - 2022
Event55th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2022 - Virtual, Online, United States
Duration: Jan 3 2022Jan 7 2022

Publication series

NameProceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences
Volume2022-January
ISSN (Print)1530-1605

Conference

Conference55th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2022
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityVirtual, Online
Period1/3/221/7/22

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering

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