AVAILABLE 24/7: TELEWORKING DIFFERENCES BY GENDER, PARENTAL STATUS, AND RELEVANT BACKGROUND FACTORS

Abstract

The recent rise in teleworking (i.e., working remotely) during the COVID-19 pandemic subsequently changed the labor market and now more workers find themselves doing paid work at home. However, remote work can reinforce broader gender inequalities for female workers and especially mothers. This paper examines gendered differences in teleworking after the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. To do so, I utilize nationally representative data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) Telework Supplement administered from August 2022 to October 2025 by the U.S. Census Bureau. I utilize a series of logistic regression models to estimate the telework rate differences across respondents’ gender and parental status. The main findings reveal unequal propensity to paid remote work across the population, with women consistently showing a higher propensity to teleworking than men across all models. Conversely, while being a parent diminishes the rate of telework, mothers have a higher rate of teleworking than fathers, especially if they have children under age five in the household. The “gendered organizations” framework meaningfully explains the results as women face higher gendered expectations differences to be both “ideal workers” and good mothers (Acker 1990). I also consider intersectional aspects of telework as workers are more likely to work from home if they are women, have small children, identify as White (non-Hispanic), and live in urban areas. The following project presents nationally representative findings on the growing connection of gender and parental status on remote work. Finally, this project adds to our understanding of remote work as a growing part of the post-COVID 19 labor market.