The Impact of Unemployment on the Organisation of Family Life: The Case of Parental Time in France

Anne Solaz, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)
Ariane Pailhe, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)

Parental time is usually the most evenly shared part of domestic time. Does this mean that the time spent by the father or mother is substitutable (either parent could do the task) or complementary (both parents are needed)? We tested these hypotheses in the context of a sudden change in time constraints, such as that caused by unemployment. We established a distinction between leisure, care, homework, transport, using the French Time Use survey (INSEE 1999). Our sample includes 1885 families with at least one working parent. Using a bivariate tobit model, we show that the only substitutable activity between men and women is transportation time. Daily care is also substitutable, but it is only substituted when the woman is unemployed. A partner's participation in parental activities can thus reflect his or her power of negotiation and desire to contribute to the common good, represented by the child.