Gender Gaps in Time Use: Pan-European Evidence from School Closures during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

We study the impact of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic on individual-level time use. We use panel data from 27 EU countries beyond the initial lockdown period and isolate the impact of school closures by comparing parents and non-parents. We find no evidence of a gendered impact of school closures. Women and men reduced the time spent on paid work and increased the amount of time spent on household chores and leisure in approximately equal amounts. These findings do not align with the common concern that school closures widened gender gaps in paid or unpaid work.