COVID-19 and school availability: impact on parental labour supply and well-being

Researchers: Professor Birgitta Rabe | Dr Claire Crawford ...

Project overview


School closures have been an important feature of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have a high direct cost to children, disrupting learning and impacting mental health, but they have affected parents too. This project will examine the impact of school availability and attendance on parental labour supply, family finances and mental health.

The closures have put an extraordinary burden on families with school-age children, who have lost at least 30 hours a week of childcare per child. This has been exacerbated by the unavailability of other childcare and an expectation that parents should home-school their children. Government guidance on school reopening created differential access to childcare for parents with children in different year groups, with schools initially opening for primary years R, 1 and 6 in June 2020. However, not all schools reopened, and not all parents took up available places. This meant that some parents no longer had to provide childcare during school hours, while other parents with children of similar age still had to do so.

This project will assess the impact of both children’s eligibility for and actual attendance at school on parents’ work, family finance and mental health outcomes and will provide insights into the extent to which the increasing gender inequalities seen during lockdown might reverse when children return to school. The researchers will also explore the responses of schools and parents to the guidance, providing insights into which schools and parents were most likely to comply.

The study will use the Understanding Society (UKHLS) COVID-19 survey, a monthly survey of 17,000 participants of the main UKHLS survey, that includes responses from the parents of 4,000 children. It contains measures of labour market status (working, hours worked, working from home, furloughed), earnings, mental health, the perceived financial situation of the family and whether they are up to date with bills and housing payments. By linking this data with existing UKHLS data, the researchers can obtain rich longitudinal background information on all respondents. This will be supplemented with data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), which collects information on a nationally representative sample of around 36,000 households every quarter for up to 5 quarters, and contains rich information on labour supply and earnings, as well as some information on mental and physical health Since it is not possible to identify which children returned to school in the LFS, the team will supplement the data with information from the Department for Education on school openings and attendance.

Using longitudinal data will enable the researchers to look at changes in outcomes over time. They will use data from individuals interviewed before and during lockdown and repeat analysis into the winter months as more data becomes available, enabling them to look at the effect of school eligibility and attendance in the short term and the slightly longer term (up to 9 months). They will investigate the impact of school reopening on future employment and earnings, testing the hypothesis that parents – especially mothers – who experience longer labour market disruptions face a longer-term labour market penalty.

They will use a difference-in-differences approach to compare changes in outcomes amongst parents with children who are eligible to return to school with changes in outcomes amongst parents with similar-aged children who are not eligible. As parents with different characteristics are likely to make different decisions about their children’s return to school, school reopening is likely to have different effects on different parents, so the study will consider heterogeneity by family size and structure (including single parent households), family work circumstances (furlough, key workers and working from home) and attitudes to gender roles.

This research will provide timely and important insights into the likely consequences of any future school closures or reductions in capacity, including the possibility of longer-term effects on employment and family well-being for parents, especially mothers.

Team


  • Professor Birgitta Rabe
    University of Essex
  • Dr Claire Crawford
    University of Birmingham
  • Dr Jo Blanden
    University of Surrey
  • Dr Laura Fumagalli
    University of Essex

  • Alex Beer headshot
    Head of Grants Operations and Portfolio Development
    Nuffield Foundation

Explore our projects

New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
A young child splashing in a puddle next to his guardian and sister.
New

Justice | 2024 - 2026

Special guardianship families: experiences and support needs

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Exploring academic selection and grammar schools in Northern Ireland

View project
A front view of a father and his two children. He is carrying his young son in his arms and his daughter is riding her scooter along the footpath as he pushes his son's scooter along the way.
New

Justice | Welfare | 2024 - 2026

Challenging justice inequalities with children in conflict with the law 

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Spending across different stages of education

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
A middle-aged man sat at home is looking at this phone while sorting pension paperwork.
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Collective defined contribution pensions with investment choice

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Universal Credit, good work and progression

View project
Three colleagues smiling and talking at work
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Arthritis, work and wellbeing: a mixed methods study with policy recommendations

View project
A young child splashing in a puddle next to his guardian and sister.
New

Justice | 2024 - 2026

Special guardianship families: experiences and support needs

View project
A front view of a father and his two children. He is carrying his young son in his arms and his daughter is riding her scooter along the footpath as he pushes his son's scooter along the way.
New

Justice | Welfare | 2024 - 2026

Challenging justice inequalities with children in conflict with the law 

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Spending across different stages of education

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Exploring academic selection and grammar schools in Northern Ireland

View project
A middle-aged man sat at home is looking at this phone while sorting pension paperwork.
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Collective defined contribution pensions with investment choice

View project
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Universal Credit, good work and progression

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
A group of neighbours walking outside in a green space

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Just neighbourhoods? Under-representation in UK community-led planning

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
Teenager hugging their mother
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

The long-term effects of being a young carer

View project
Elderly woman and adult daughter out shopping
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Connecting pensions, health and care

View project
Male and female apprentices looking at car engine
In progress

Education | 2022 - 2025

Work or study? Gender and the transition from school to work

View project
Mother, father, son and daughter standing in front of their house
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

A regional regeneration index to track socioeconomic ‘Levelling Up’

View project
Man working on a laptop using sign language on a video call
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2024

Designing inclusive remote and hybrid working to support disabled workers

View project
Children walking with their parents in the countryside
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Children’s lives in changing places

View project
Older man working from home on a video call
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2023

The impact of pension auto-enrolment and COVID-19 on saving behaviours

View project
Worried woman alone in a room, resting her head on her arms
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Links between cognitive impairment and exploitation in England

View project
Happy girl runs home from school in her uniform
In progress

Education | 2022 - 2023

Northern Ireland school transfer without tests in 2021

View project
A man working as a delivery driver sits in the driver's seat, checking his list on a tablet
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2023

Redesigning labour market policies for the future of work

View project
Older people drinking tea at a meeting at a community centre
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Using administrative data to understand community well-being

View project
A young child splashing in a puddle next to his guardian and sister.
New

Justice | 2024 - 2026

Special guardianship families: experiences and support needs

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Spending across different stages of education

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Exploring academic selection and grammar schools in Northern Ireland

View project
A middle-aged man sat at home is looking at this phone while sorting pension paperwork.
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Collective defined contribution pensions with investment choice

View project
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Universal Credit, good work and progression

View project
Three colleagues smiling and talking at work
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Arthritis, work and wellbeing: a mixed methods study with policy recommendations

View project
A man driving a van at work
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

The PAW Trial: feasibility and acceptability of the Pain-at-Work Toolkit

View project
Two older women swimming in their local pool
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

The psychological, social and economic impact of musculoskeletal conditions

View project
Grandparents having fun outdoors with their granddaughter, who is eating an apple and laughing: Understanding family and community vulnerabilities in transition to net zero
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2023

Understanding family and community vulnerabilities in transition to net zero

View project
Father and son using laptop at home
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2024

Developing a minimum digital living standard for households with children

View project
Side view of two female high school students in classroom working on laptops social distancing. Student in foreground is in focus and student in background is blurred
Reported

Education | 2021 - 2022

COVID-19 and disadvantage gaps in England 2020 and 2021

View project
Close up of a young girl and her father wearing protective face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic outside.
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2023

The Economy 2030 Inquiry: navigating a decade of change

View project
Young boy draws and plays with a globe as part of nursery education
Reported

Education | 2020 - 2022

COVID-19 and childcare: local impacts across England

View project
Reported

Justice | 2020 - 2022

When is a wedding not a marriage? Exploring non-legally binding ceremonies

View project
Reported

Education | 2020 - 2021

COVID-19 mitigation measures: education provision and access to special schools

View project
Toddler-gleefully-eats-baked-beans-How-COVID-19-is-affecting-food-security-proj
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2021

How the COVID-19 crisis is affecting food security

View project
Male secondary school student working at home on laptop
Reported

Education | 2020 - 2021

The impact of COVID-19 on mainstream schools in England

View project
Teenage-girl-looks-at-smartphone-next-to-laptop-Growing-up-under-COVID-19-PROJ
Reported

Education | Welfare | 2020 - 2022

Growing up under COVID-19

View project
Mother carrying daughter outside their home
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2022

COVID realities: families on low incomes during the pandemic

View project
Woman-looks-at-smartphone-screen-How-the-UK-public-gets-information-about-COVID-19-PROJ
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2020

How the UK public gets information about COVID-19

View project
Search projects

Profile