The COVID-19 pandemic and subjective well-being: longitudinal evidence on satisfaction with work and family

ABSTRACT

This paper provides a timely evaluation of whether the main COVID-19 lockdown policies – remote work, short-time work and closure of schools and childcare – have an immediate effect on the German population in terms of changes in satisfaction with work and family life. Relying on individual level panel data collected before and during the lockdown, we examine (1) how family satisfaction and work satisfaction of individuals have changed over the lockdown period, and (2) how lockdown-driven changes in the labour market situation (i.e. working remotely and being sent on short-time work) have affected satisfactions. We apply first-difference regressions for mothers, fathers, and persons without children. Our results show a general decrease in family satisfaction. We also find an overall decline in work satisfaction which is most pronounced for mothers and those without children who have to switch to short-time work. In contrast, fathers' well-being is less affected negatively and their family satisfaction even increased after changing to short-time work. We conclude that while the lockdown circumstances generally have a negative effect on the satisfaction with work and family of individuals in Germany, effects differ between childless persons, mothers, and fathers with the latter being least negatively affected.

KEYWORDS:

• Work satisfaction
• family satisfaction
• lockdown
• remote work
• short-time work

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Katja Möhring

Katja Möhring is Assistant Professor for Sociology of the Welfare State at the School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim

Elias Naumann

Elias Naumann is Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Collaborative Research Center SFB 884, University of Mannheim

Maximiliane Reifenscheid

Maximiliane Reifenscheid is Doctoral Researcher at the Collaborative Research Center SFB 884, University of Mannheim

Alexander Wenz

Alexander Wenz is Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Collaborative Research Center SFB 884, University of Mannheim

Tobias Rettig

Tobias Rettig is Doctoral Researcher at the Collaborative Research Center SFB 884, University of Mannheim

Ulrich Krieger

Ulrich Krieger is Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Collaborative Research Center SFB 884, University of Mannheim

Sabine Friedel

Sabine Friedel is Doctoral Researcher at the Collaborative Research Center SFB 884, University of Mannheim

Marina Finkel

Marina Finkel is Researcher at the Collaborative Research Center SFB 884, University of Mannheim

Carina Cornesse

Carina Cornesse is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Collaborative Research Center SFB 884, University of Mannheim

Annelies G. Blom

Annelies G. Blom is Professor for Data Science at the School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim