Examining disparities in work–family time-use patterns among workers with caregiving responsibilities in the context of COVID-19

Using nationally representative data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), this article examines how work–family time-use patterns changed from 2018 to 2023, spanning the COVID-19 prepandemic period, the early pandemic, and the subsequent reopening phase. The analysis focuses on three dimensions of daily time use: total work–family burden (total time spent in paid work and caregiving), time fragmentation (the number of work and care episodes across the day), and multitasking (secondary caregiving during paid work). The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally disrupted the lives of American working families, forcing millions of families to navigate unprecedented challenges in balancing paid work and unpaid caregiving responsibilities. School and daycare closures sharply increased caregiving demands, and unemployment soared, peaking at 14.8 percent in April 2020.1 For those who were able to keep their jobs, work arrangements shifted considerably during the lockdowns.