Research project How have policies influenced changes in everyday life one year after the coronavirus outbreak?

COVID-19 quickly changed working conditions and caregiving responsibilities for parents worldwide. However, the persistence of such changes and their long-term implications are not yet fully known. Social policies vary considerably across countries – as did short-term disease containment measures – and can affect work-life reconciliation, labor market outcomes and family economic security.

Using a unique survey, the research collects data from parents of young children living in Canada, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and the United States. The research examines relationships between family-supportive policies, disease containment measures, and (1) stability in family and employment situations, (2) divisions of paid and unpaid labor between couples, and (3) variation in experiences by single- and coupled-parents and other characteristics, such as gender, earnings, and occupation. Analysis compares data both cross-nationally and within countries.