Future of work

Using Labour Force Survey data on hours worked, the authors find that, on average, Canadians are working more hours in June compared to April (when hours worked were at their lowest point). However, women with young children are not returning to their pre-shutdown level of hours worked as quickly as their male counterparts, Canadians with older children, or those without children. The first explanation is that employment and hours worked are recovering more quickly in male-dominated industries; overall, men are returning to work faster than women. Second, often the parent with the highest earning potential will return to work while the other focuses on caregiving. Since male-dominated industries are opening more quickly, the male parent more likely has a job to return to at near regular hours (and income). Even if women can work more hours, they may not be able to because of household obligations, which appear to be falling more to women than to men.