Researchers who interviewed thousands of couples in the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic found that women were disproportionately affected by job losses, childcare duties and mental distress.

A follow-up Understanding Coronavirus in America Study, released this week, shows that women continue to face higher levels of unemployment and psychological distress than their male partners, said University of Arkansas professor Gema Zamarro.

And they're still taking more responsibility for child care, she said.

"Women continue to disproportionately suffer the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Zamarro, who holds the 21st Century Endowed Chair in Teacher Quality in the College of Education and Health Professions. "This could have important implications for the recovery of the economy and represent a significant step back in terms of gender equality."

Both studies were conducted by the University of Southern California's Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, where Zamarro is an adjunct senior economist.

In the latest study, researchers analyzed survey responses from over 3,100 people across the country who are living with a spouse or partner ages 18 to 64. Zamarro and colleagues returned to the initial data for further insights into what might have changed since the original report.

The new study shows:

• Since last spring, the percentage of mothers who are currently working and have sole responsibility for providing child care and help with schoolwork has increased from 33% to 45%.
• Women have lost jobs at a higher rate than men during the pandemic and almost twice as many remain without a job, compared to men.
• Pandemic-related psychological distress for both men and women has decreased since peaking in early April, but among men and women who have children, the gender gap among those experiencing psychological distress remains highest. At the end of November, 32% of women (with and without kids) were experiencing psychological distress, compared to 22% of men without kids.

Zamarro, the mother of two young children ages 8 and 9, initiated the original study in early April after noticing anecdotal evidence on social media about the gender divide related to childcare and COVID-19.

An academic paper containing the first round of study results — from the beginning of the pandemic through July — was just accepted for publication. It will be shared in a special issue about COVID in the Review of Economics of the Household in March 2021.

Sample sizes and margins of sampling error for the populations in the most recent study are available in the full study report.