This study estimates random effects and difference-in-difference-in-differences models to examine the initial impacts of COVID-19 on the employment and hours of unincorporated self-employed workers using monthly panel data from the Current Population Survey. For these workers, effects were visible in March as voluntary social distancing began, largest in April as complete shutdowns occurred, and slightly smaller in May as some restrictions were eased. We find differential effects by gender that favor men, by marital status and gender that favor married men over married women, and by gender, marital, and parental status that favor married fathers over married mothers. The evidence suggests that self-employed married mothers were forced out of the labor force to care for children presumably due to prescribed gender norms and the division and specialization of labor within households. Remote work and working in an essential industry mitigated some of the negative effects on employment and hours.

本研究估计了随机效应和差异中差异模型，以使用当前人口调查中的月度面板数据来检查 COVID-19 对非法人自雇工人的就业和工作时间的初始影响。对于这些工人来说，随着自愿社会疏远的开始，3 月份的影响是显而易见的，4 月份的影响最大，因为完全关闭，而 5 月份的影响略小，因为一些限制有所放松。我们发现不同性别对男性的青睐、婚姻状况和已婚男性偏爱已婚女性的性别以及性别、婚姻和父母状况偏爱已婚父亲而非已婚母亲的影响存在差异。有证据表明，自雇已婚母亲被迫离开劳动力去照顾孩子，这大概是由于规定的性别规范以及家庭内部劳动的分工和专业化。远程工作和在重要行业工作减轻了对就业和工作时间的一些负面影响。