Women with school-age children experienced higher rates of employment loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent report from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). This was largely attributed to increased responsibilities of managing remote learning.
A study presented by Dr. Ma. Christina Epetia during a PIDS webinar revealed that school closures significantly intensified parental burdens, particularly for mothers.
Epetia’s study, “School Closures and Parental Labor Supply,” highlighted that the added childcare responsibilities, combined with work obligations, posed substantial challenges for mothers striving to balance work and family life.
“The findings suggest a continuation of traditional gender roles where women are often primarily responsible for childcare. As a result, they are more likely to reduce their participation in the labor market to support their children during remote learning or academic breaks,” Epetia explained.
Interestingly, both female and male college graduates tended to increase their work hours during school closures compared to those with lower levels of education.
“Highly educated women with children of school age demonstrated a higher workload even during academic breaks or periods of partial remote learning, underscoring the varying effects based on educational level,” Epetia added.
Webinar discussant Grace Baldoza, Chief of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Bureau of Local Employment Labor Market Information Division, agreed with Epetia on the significant impacts of prolonged school closures and learning losses on the economy.
She emphasized that reduced productivity and income ultimately affect workforce employability, highlighting the need for lifelong learning and skill upscaling.
Baldoza reaffirmed DOLE’s commitment to enhancing workforce development in response to the evolving labor market dynamics driven by technological advances.
She pointed to initiatives such as the Government Internship Program, public employment services, and labor market information systems like the Assistance to First-Time Jobseekers and Integrated PhilJobNet – PESO Employment Information System.
However, Dr. Geoffrey Ducanes of Ateneo de Manila University raised concerns about the study’s suggestion of a positive correlation between remote learning and increased employment probability for parents.
“Taken by itself, it is saying that remote learning has increased the probability of employment of adults, even those with school-age children, which does not sound correct,” Ducanes remarked, suggesting that other factors might be influencing this result.
Dr. Stefan Kühn, Senior Economist at the International Labour Organization, proposed exploring additional “interaction terms” for the study, such as examining how the presence of domestic helpers impacts the employment status of parents.
“Adding more data and estimating for a longer period will provide a better understanding of how family dynamics and external factors influence labor market trends,” Kühn recommended. He advocated for a more comprehensive analysis to understand the complexities of employment patterns during significant societal shifts.
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