Impacts of COVID-19 on the self-employed

ABSTRACT: This study estimates random effects and difference-in-difference-in-differences models to examine the initial impacts of COVID-19 on the employment and hours of unincorporated self-employed workers using monthly panel data from the Current Population Survey. For these workers, effects were visible in March as voluntary social distancing began, largest in April as complete shutdowns occurred, and slightly smaller in May as some restrictions were eased. We find differential effects by gender that favor men, by marital status and gender that favor married men over married women, and by gender, marital, and parental status that favor married fathers over married mothers. The evidence suggests that self-employed married mothers were forced out of the labor force to care for children presumably

SUBMITTER: Kalenkoski C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8361245 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature