Entrepreneurship and care work for parents during the pandemic

evidence from US data

Authors

  • Ana Luísa Gouvêa Abras Universidade Federal do ABC
  • Mary Paula Arends-Kuenning University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36942/reni.v11i1.1403

Keywords:

Care work, Female entrepreneurship, Covid-19, Parent’s self-employment, United States

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States experienced a surge in business applications. In this study, we examine parents’ entrepreneurial activity in relation to the caregiving responsibilities they faced during the health crisis. In regressions with the Current Population Survey, we explore the variation in school and daycare closures across areas from 2020 to 2022. We use widespread closures as a measure of extra care burden for parents. Our findings show that reduced access to in-person instruction and childcare is linked to a lower probability of unincorporated self-employment among parents. Also, mothers who are not working are less likely to start self-employment when caregiving responsibilities increase. Findings indicate that many parents prioritized unpaid household work over self-employment during the pandemic, highlighting the need for policies that support entrepreneurial pursuits for parents, particularly mothers balancing caregiving demands.

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Published

2026-06-03

How to Cite

Abras, A. L. G., & Arends-Kuenning, M. P. (2026). Entrepreneurship and care work for parents during the pandemic: evidence from US data. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Business and Innovation, 11(1), 97–117. https://doi.org/10.36942/reni.v11i1.1403

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Artigos

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Entrepreneurship, Business and Innovation

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