The Korean Economic Forum
COVID-19 Pandemic and Family-Friendly Policy
Jungho Kim (Ajou University)Year 2022Vol. 15No. 2
Abstract
The paper investigates whether family-friendly policies mitigated the labor market consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis using OECD country-level panel data finds that the role of family-friendly policy is different depending on its type. Familiy cash benefit is found to have helped women and men continue to work during the pandemic, but neither childcare service or parental leave are not found to have had any significant effect. On the other hand, the paternity leave was found to improve men’s employment during the global financial crisis in 2009. Hence, the findings indicate that cash benefit may be more effective than childcare service or parental leave during a catastrophic crisis in that it allows parents with children to have a more flexible arrangement.