New Report: Time Waited for No Mom in 2020

Posted by Brookings Institution on August 3, 2021

Research analysts from The Hamilton Project found that since the COVID-19 pandemic, mothers of children 12 and under were less likely to be employed and working, more likely to be unemployed, less likely to be working full-time hours, more likely to have dropped out of the labor force, and more likely to be spending a substantial amount of time caring for children whether working or not. Survey data indicated that overall, mothers of children 12 and under spent an average of 8.6 hours per day on direct and secondary childcare activities. Employed mothers with children 12 and under also spent about 8.3 hours (8 hours during the weekday) per day on direct and indirect childcare and worked about 6.1 hours per weekday. Recent employment data has also shown that the pandemic has widened the labor force participation gap between mothers and fathers. As of June 2021, the labor force participation rates (LFPRs) of prime-age mothers (those aged 25-54) remains significantly below the pre-COVID level. The Hamilton Project fielded the survey in partnership with the Future of the Middle Class Initiative at the Brookings Institution.

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