Couples’ division of work during the COVID-19 pandemic

How did couples distribute paid and unpaid work during the COVID-19 lockdowns in Austria? What were their arrangements regarding work place and non-standard working hours (i.e. work during evenings and weekends)? Which policy implications can be drawn in order to reduce families’ strain?

This project examines changes in paid and unpaid work among couples in Austria between 2019 and 2021. We will, for instance, address the role of family status (in particular, the presence of children) and partners’ resources (in particular, income and education). The project is based on data from the Austrian microcensus and the Austrian Corona Panel Project (ACPP).

The project is funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) in the Urgent Funding SARS-CoV-2 scheme [press release in German]

Principal Investigator: Assoz.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Caroline Berghammer