School Closures and Parental Labor Supply: Evidence from Germany

Blanka Imre, Markus M. Grabka, Oskar Breer and Neil Murray

Journal of Labor Economics, 2026, vol. 44, issue S1, S47 - S88

Abstract: This study explores the effect of COVID-19 school closures on parental labor supply in Germany. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel and a difference-in-differences approach, we find that county-level school closures led to greater household specialization among parents of primary-school-age children. We show that in-person schooling restrictions led to a 4–5 percentage point decline in full-time employment among mothers and a comparably sized increase in employment of fathers. A similar pattern emerges for parents of secondary-school-age children. Our results are consistent with mothers providing additional childcare and fathers increasing work hours.

Date: 2026
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